The Daedric Child
by Ny Batteri
Summary: A new Daedra is on the verge of being created, but must prove her worth first, by aiding three heroes, bound together by prophecy, in the defeat of the immortal necromancer Mannimarco, via Oblivion, remote corners of Tamriel and an epic final showdown.
1. Prologue

Author's note - This is the sequel to one of my older stories, The War Of Independence. You don't need to read that story to know what is going on in this one but it may give you more insight into the characters. This also contains War Of Independence spoilers! Enjoy!

**The Daedric Child**

**Chapter 1 - Prologue**

_Theories on the Madness of Sheogorath" (excerpts)_

_Known to be the Prince of Madness, Sheogorath's nature has long fascinated scholars. His behaviour is entirely unpredictable - once almost causing untold destruction to the fledgling Dunmer by hurling an enormous rock at their city of Vivec, then many years later seeking a mortal champion, notably deeming another mortal worthy of receiving Wabbajack, one of his most treasured artifacts._

_I believe the root of Sheogorath's madness lies in his duality. One must remember that Sheogorath exists merely to be a counterpart to Jyggalag, who had grown too powerful for the remaining Daedra to be able to control. Sheogorath and Jyggalag oppose each other - madness opposing order - and herein lays the reason for Sheogorath's dementia._

_It could be possible that Sheogorath was once a fairly uninteresting Daedric Prince, simply building a kingdom whose capital city happened to be split into two halves. Of course, where there are two opposing factions, conflict will occur. Although it has never been documented that Houses Mania and Dementia have never faced each other in open war, one must only see the rivalry between the Golden Saints and Dark Seducers, the soldiers of the two Houses, to see an example of the opposition between these two factions._

_If we consider that everything in Sheogorath's realm, in order to exist there, must be bound to Sheogorath in some way or contain his essence, we see how madness could arise in Sheogorath. Two opposing factions, each representing one half of his personality, constantly at odds with each other - schizophrenia. This is a constant torment to Sheogorath and the reason for his often-irrational behaviour. In order to stop this, Sheogorath must defer to one House whilst either a double of Sheogorath, or a being that possesses enough of his spirit to be considered a double to Sheogorath, must defer to the other. Is it possible that Sheogorath's madness can be cured?_

_-Anonymous document, found in Mystic Archives_

…_the Marsh Spirit transpired to be a weapon, but not of the nature that was imagined – supposedly it caused every tree in Black Marsh to become a sentient being, similar to the Gnarls of the Shivering Isles, to fight for Black Marsh. The weapon was found in a shrine to Meridia deep in the wilderness of Black Marsh, at the end of a tunnel originating in an Ayleid ruin in Cyrodiil…_

…_the weapon was destroyed by the Dunmer Falas Assurrani, working for the good of the Empire…_

… "_Three heroes, drawn together by fate, to take on an even greater event"_

… _the Chim-el Adabal is a huge gemstone of Ayleid origin, originally situated atop White Gold Tower. Part of the stone was used to forge the Amulet of Kings…_

_--  
_

_Sacellum Arden-Sul, New Sheoth_

The mysterious woman sat silently in the pews of the chapel, seemingly ignoring the preachings of the priest of Mania who was standing in the pulpit. She appeared Elven, with long, flowing golden hair, dressed in a white robe. Nobody seemed to know how she had entered the Isles, or made it as far as New Sheoth, but mysterious orders had come from Sheogorath himself stating that no-one was to harm her. Yet the townspeople had become suspicious after repeatedly seeing her conversing with the Golden Saint and Dark Seducer guards under nightfall.

Suddenly, the woman snapped to attention, causing the preacher to stop mid-sentence. Two Golden Saints strode into the chapel as the woman stood up and spoke to them.

"Did you find anything, Staada?" she asked to one of the Golden Saints.

"Only one was left alive, Meri" Staada replied. "A Bosmer woman. She is outside – we brought her here to be healed"

"Bring her to me" Meri replied. The preacher watched the situation in amazement, wondering who this woman could be who seemed to have command over General Staada, the highest-ranking soldier in the Isles, the Golden Saint who had complete control over Sheogorath's armies, including the Dark Seducers.

Staada and the other Golden Saint helped the Bosmer into the chapel. She staggered forward slowly towards Meri, barely alive. She wore a tattered, bloodstained grey robe and nothing else. Almost every exposed inch of her flesh was covered in scorch marks where she had been repeatedly struck by lightning. A deep cut ran the length of her left thigh. Her brown hair was caked in blood, seeping from wounds inflicted where her head had been repeatedly hit with a blunt object. Most alarming, though, was the fact that her right foot had been severed. Meri took the Bosmer by the hands and looked her in the eye – she was visibly scared and concussed.

"You're safe here," Meri said gently, as healing magic flowed from her hands into the Bosmer. "What's your name?"

"Aendel" the Bosmer said weakly.

"You can stay in this chapel until you are healed" Meri said. "Then you are going to help us find and kill the person who did this to you"

"It was Relmyna Verenim" Aendel said, looking Meri in the eye. "She took me from Hale… I don't know when… it feels like I've been in there forever"

Tears began to well up in Aendel's eyes as Meri motioned her to stop speaking. Meri turned to face the second Golden Saint soldier.

"Take her into the Gardens of Mania. Feed her the fruit of the alocasia tree – it is the best natural medicine in the Isles. Staada, might I speak with you?"

"Certainly" Staada said. The Aureal waited until her comrade had helped Aendel to her feet and led her out of the building before continuing.

"You were right – we found her in Xaselm, Relmyna Verenim's lair. Verenim wasn't in there. I believe she must be in Passwall, tending to the Gatekeeper. I do not think she knows we are onto her"

"Her days are numbered" Meri said darkly. "If Sheogorath discovers what she is doing to his followers, her death warrant will be signed"

"I must say that Our Lord seems to be taking a lot of interest in necromancy recently" Staada mused.

"How so? Was it not me who told you to invade Xaselm and bring back whoever you find alive?"

"There was the incident in Cyrodiil too"

"What incident?"

"A follower of Sheogorath publicly executed a known necromancer on the streets of the Imperial City. Did you not know?"

"No" Meri said softly. "I did not"

--

_For the Eyes of Emperor Namiah Carius only_

_From Grandmaster Jauffre_

_Your Highness, I have compiled a record of the group who will be taking on this new threat. They consist mostly of veterans of the Marsh Spirit incident._

_Falas Assurrani – Dunmer, male, aged 41. Former Morag Tong agent, now freelance. Specialisation – Marksmanship, assassination, stealth_

_Camri Everlight – Imperial, male, age 33. Former outlaw and explorer of note. Specialisation – Stealth and infiltration, marksmanship, swordsmanship, navigation, alchemy, trap evasion_

_Knight-Bachelor Marlus Halisman – Imperial, male, age 31. Noted Imperial Legion soldier, currently based in High Rock. Specialisation – Melee combat (adept at swordsmanship and hand-to-hand)_

_Ariel Lasaille – Breton, female, age 26. Highly skilled mage and scholar, of no fixed location or employment. Specialisation – Mysticism, problem-solving_

_Eldred Moravahn – Dunmer, male, age 46. Buoyant Armiger of the Tribunal Temple of Morrowind. May not be present. Specialisation – Healing, alchemy and explosives, heavy weapons._

_Areen – Argonian, male, age 29. Agent and kinsman of the Royal Court of Argonia. Specialisation – Blunt weapons, unarmed combat, athletics, stealth_

_Latta – Female, age and race unknown. Freelance adventurer. Specialisation – swordsmanship, destructive magic_


	2. The Prophecy

**Chapter 2 – The Prophecy**

Camri Everlight crept through the undergrowth towards the camp, making sure to use the large boulders dotting the landscape as cover. As he reached the last boulder before the camp, he stopped and peered over the top. The two Cammona Tong operatives were oblivious to his presence, one counting gold and the other cooking over a campfire. Both were carrying axes wearing leather armour, but no helmets.

The Imperial turned to face Ariel Lasaille, who was just behind him.

"If one of them moves, tell me," he whispered. Ariel nodded, using life detection to monitor the movements of the two Dunmer in the camp. Now they just had to wait for the others to get into position – Camri slowly placed an arrow into his bow and waited.

Through the undergrowth, he could just see the figures of Areen and Falas Assurrani moving towards the camp from a perpendicular direction. Assurrani, the Dunmer assassin, was also carrying a bow, whilst the Argonian, Areen, was functioning as his lookout.

Eventually, Assurrani made it to the edge of the campsite, also ducking behind a boulder, but stepped on a twig as he got into position, alerting the two Cammona Tong men.

"You hear that?" one of them said.

"Probably a deer or something," the other replied. "Nothing to worry about. Get on with that stew, I'm famished"

Assurrani loaded an arrow into his bow and glanced at Camri. Camri caught Assurrani's gaze and nodded at him. Showtime.

In perfect synchronisation, the pair leapt out of cover. Their aim was immaculate – both arrows hit the targets, nailing both Dunmer right between the eyes and killing them both before they knew what had happened. Camri vaulted over the boulder in front of him, drawing his sword, and strode into the camp – it was empty.

"All clear" Camri called to the other three as they emerged from the undergrowth. "That was nice and easy, wasn't it?"

"You had the right idea attacking at dawn, Camri" Assurrani said, slinging his bow over his shoulder. "They really didn't look very awake"

Areen walked over to the campfire and took the cooking pot off the tripod it was suspended from. "Venison stew. Excellent"

As the three talked, Camri saw Ariel stride purposefully towards one of the two tents and drag a chest from inside it. Camri always marvelled at Ariel's ability to know what to do next – a true mystic – and watched her place her hands on the chest and use the unusual technique of using telekinesis to pick the lock. The lock sprung open and Ariel lifted the lid off the chest. The other three walked over.

"Wow…" Assurrani mused. "There must be, what, five thousand Septims' worth in there?"

Camri lifted out one of the bottles of skooma. "Maybe, Falas, but we're not selling it. I'm not here to help the skooma trade. Either we do it or destroy it, and early morning seems a bit early to get off our minds on this damned stuff"

Areen took one of the axes from the fallen Cammona Tong agents and began to use the blunt end of its handle to smash the bottles, causing their contents to leak out through the cracks in the chest and into the dry, dusty soil, which soaked it up instantly. For good measure, he picked the chest up and hurled it into the undergrowth, hearing it smash against a rock. As he did, Camri looked to the south. He could see the grand spectacle of White Gold Tower, but beyond it an enormous storm cloud that seemed to be heading towards them.

"I don't like the look of that" Camri quipped. "Maybe we should make for the City and try to avoid it"

Ariel smiled. "Of course, it's the 5th of Rain's Hand. The official date of Camri's charges being dropped. As of 8 o'clock he'll legally be able to set foot in the cities of Cyrodiil again"

Assurrani froze. "What did you say the date was?"

"The 5th of Rain's Hand" Ariel repeated.

"Damnit, this is the date we're supposed to be meeting the Emperor!"

A look of grim realisation spread across Camri's face. "You're right. It's not an event I've been especially looking forward to"

The four had been brought together by a remarkable series of events. Camri Everlight had been in prison in the Imperial City when it had started – a wanted outlaw, who had lived in the wild for many years until finally being apprehended. It had been Areen who had broken him out of prison, an agent of the Argonian Government. Many years before, Camri had found a document detailing a prophecy where three heroes would be brought together through a great event – the event being a corrupt Imperial Legion General, Anvius Seminus, attempting to wage war in the Nibenay Basin, wishing to capture parts of Elsweyr and Black Marsh for his own personal gain, at the same time that the Argonians were planning on retaking the parts of Cyrodiil that had belonged to Black Marsh – the majority of the Nibenay Basin and Blackwood that lay on the eastern banks of the river – for themselves. It was here where he had encountered Falas Assurrani, then a Morag Tong assassin from Morrowind working for Seminus under the false pretence that he had been working for the Empire, and Ariel Lasaille, a mysterious young Breton with extremely powerful psychic and mystic abilities and a gift for having prophetic visions. The three had been told that they were indeed part of a prophecy and had been brought together to tackle a greater danger, the nature of which the Emperor would not disclose, causing Camri, Ariel and Assurrani to leave the meeting with the Emperor one by one.

--

_The Centre for Daedric Intelligence, The Arcane University, a few days earlier_

Arch-Mage Onstario slowly opened the door of his pride and joy, his crowning achievement, the Centre for Daedric Intelligence. It had been built by Onstario under Chancellor Ocato's orders shortly after the Oblivion crisis, when it was decreed that the activities of the Daedra should be monitored more closely, to give early warning of any similar crises that may be about to occur. Onstario had persuaded followers of each Daedric Prince to spy on their activities in return for certain privileges, such as the law turning a blind eye towards any activities involved in the worship of the Daedra in question.

"Ah, good morning, Arch-Mage" a Dunmer man said as Onstario entered the building. It was Torasal Sarethi, an eccentric and bookish fellow who was in charge of the day-to-day running of the Centre for Daedric Intelligence.

"Hello, Torasal" Onstario replied. "I trust all is well?"

"Never better" Torasal replied. "Our man in the Shivering Isles returned last night. He's still resting at the moment, but he delivered his report to me on the supposed sightings of Meridia in Sheogorath's realm"

"And?"

"The most incredible thing has happened…"

--

_Green Emperor Way, the present day_

Camri led the four through the palace grounds towards the Elder Council Chambers, where the meeting with the Emperor was to be held. He hurried them up – the first few specks of rain were beginning to fall from the sky. In front of him, he saw someone he recognised from his last meeting with the Elder Council, Arch-Mage Onstario, who was with a Dunmer man who he did not recognise.

Guards walked past Camri, throwing threatening glances at him, to which Camri always responded with a wry smile. For the first time in many years, Camri could walk the streets of the Imperial City without the guards having the right to arrest him on sight using whatever force necessary.

"It's good to be back, in a way," Camri said. "I wonder if my old house near the Temple is still empty?"

"Come on, Camri, we're running late!" Ariel said, taking Camri by the hand and leading him hurriedly into the palace.

--

The four bowed to the group assembled before them seated around the enormous table in the Grand Council chambers. Camri making sure he gave the Emperor a look that showed that he did not mean the gesture. He recognised most of those assembled in front of him – The Emperor, Grandmaster Jauffre of the Blades, Arch-Mage Onstario and Grandmaster Brevin Iron-Heart of the Fighters' Guild. There were two others, the Dunmer who they had seen with Onstario and a proud-looking Imperial dressed in blue finery, but still wearing a glass sword on his belt.

"Good morning gentlemen, Ariel" The Emperor said, getting to his feet. "Please, take a seat. I apologise that I have kept you waiting for so long"

"A month to be exact" Camri retorted as he sat down at the table. "This had better be good"

"Don't worry, I will keep this simple," The Emperor said in a slightly annoyed tone. "First, in light of recent events we have decided to allocate you a new guardian, Ms Lasaille"

"How did you decide this?" Ariel asked. "Horunn was personally selected by my father in High Rock"

"So was your new Guardian, Ms Lasaille" Jauffre said. "He will arrive in a few days. We paid his travel expenses but apart from that he has nothing to do with us – his orders are to keep you safe.

"Secondly, your task" The Emperor continued. "On the face of it, it seems quite simple. You three – and Areen, and any others you wish to draft in to help – are going to stamp out necromancy in Tamriel, once and for all"

"Necromancy?" Assurrani asked. "With respect, Emperor, would that not be Arch-Mage Onstario's duty?"

"Onstario will help you, but this now goes beyond dealing with every member of a cult. Mannimarco's power is something that is troubling us"

Onstario's face visibly whitened with the mention of Mannimarco's name as the Emperor continued.

"We have reason to believe that Mannimarco is back once again, currently being sheltered in Oblivion by a Daedra whose identity we have not yet discovered. Once he has his strength back, he will doubtless return to Tamriel"

"So we find him and kill him" Camri said. "Sounds easy enough"

"I wish it were" Onstario said bleakly. "He seems to be almost immortal – remember that he has been in Tamriel, on and off, since the founding of the Mages' Guild. Every time we kill him he finds a way to resurrect himself"

"That means he is drawing power from an external source" Ariel said. "That is what we need to concentrate on locating and destroying, not Mannimarco"

"Very good, Ms Lasaille" Onstario replied, smiling warmly. "Of course, you are permitted to enter the Arcane University at any point if you wish to consult the Mystic Archives during your quest"

"There is one final aspect to this," the Emperor said. "An aspect much grander in scale than anything we have just discussed. "What I am about to say might sound ridiculous but I can assure you that it is completely true – I can hardly believe it myself. It has recently been reported to me that a new Daedric Princess has been created"

The room fell silent, apart from Onstario and Torasal Sarethi, who both had knowing looks on their face. Camri felt a silent rage as he realised that the Emperor had once again been holding information from the people.

"Exactly how has this happened?" Jauffre asked. "And why was I not informed immediately?"

"We thought it of little consequence to you, Grandmaster," the Emperor said. "This new Daedric Princess has little power yet – it is a tradition amongst the Daedra that any new Princes are set a task which they must complete. Almost every time they fail, normally thanks to intervention by the other Daedra. And for reasons I am not privy to, the arena for this new Princess' task is Tamriel – more specifically, the fight against necromancy"

"Why, though?" Assurrani asked. "Why do the Daedra have any interest in affairs in the mortal realm?"

"I cannot answer this," the Emperor replied truthfully. "This is why the three of you have been summoned to the Shivering Isles, the realm of Sheogorath, to meet with this new Daedra. As I'm sure you know, there is a portal to the Shivering Isles in the River Niben. I would recommend that only you three go at this stage. I do not know how permitting Sheogorath will be to unwanted visitors"

"One more question" Camri said. "Why is Sheogorath involved? Why is he harbouring this Daedra?"

"This is the most improbable part of all" Onstario said. "Sheogorath is this new Daedric Princess' father. And her mother is Meridia"

--

The group did not speak until they reached the Market District – all were speechless at the revelations that the Emperor had just delivered. A new Daedric Princess, given birth to by Meridia and fathered by Sheogorath – it seemed too unlikely to be true.

Eventually, Camri stopped the four in the centre of the Market District.

"Alright, I need a few supplies" Camri said. "We need to be ready to go soon, though. I don't like the idea of keeping a Daedric Prince waiting, especially one like Sheogorath. Assurrani, can you go to the Waterfront and sort us out with a dinghy to get to the door to the Shivering Isles with?"

"I'm on it" Assurrani said. "Meet me at the jetty in an hour"

As Assurrani walked off, Camri turned to Areen – of everyone assembled there, he had known Areen the longest and fought alongside him many times, and did not like the idea of his friend being forbidden to enter the Shivering Isles"

"Areen, regardless of what the Emperor said you're coming with us"

"Actually, Camri…" Areen began.

"What is it?"

"There has been a rise in necromancy in Black Marsh" Areen continued. "I don't think it can be coincidence that it has started so recently after the war there. I was told to report back to Argonia to help the investigation as soon as I knew whether or not I was needed by the Emperor, and the two paths seem to have crossed"

Camri fell silent for a few seconds. "You're going back to Black Marsh?"

"I'm afraid so. But whatever I find will help you three, I'm sure – this isn't goodbye, Camri. I will be back soon"

Areen embraced his friend, and then did the same to Ariel.

"I will go and say goodbye to Assurrani then get a ship from the Waterfront back to Black Marsh" Areen said. "Goodbye, my friends"

Ariel and Camri watched Areen walk towards Green Emperor Way until he had passed through the grand wooden doors.

"I don't like this one bit" Camri said quietly. Ariel inquisitively turned to face him.

"The Emperor's way out of his depth again, and he's decided to get us three involved. This is much bigger than the Emperor taking a stance on necromancy. Is it really a good idea to be getting involved with the Daedra like this? Do we even have a chance of succeeding?"

Ariel turned and looked Camri in the eye, answering his rhetorical question. "We do have a chance. It will be very trying for all of us, but we can do it. I keep getting feelings that something enormous is about to happen"

"I wonder if that enormous event will be the wiping out of Necromancy or the new Daedric Princess coming in to power?" Camri mused.

"Remember, their paths have crossed though," Ariel said. "For one of those to happen, the other must also come to pass"


	3. No Quarter

**Chapter 3 - No Quarter**

Camri Everlight's first impression of the Shivering Isles was one of absolute awe, partly because he expected The Fringe to be a desolate wasteland, after hearing the tale of it falling to the forces of Order whilst Sheogorath was seeking a mortal champion. Evidently Sheogorath had rebuilt the Fringe, though, as looking to the north Camri was greeted by an explosion of bright colours – almost-fluorescent plant life, dark purple rocks and vividly green grass, through which mysterious trails of orange magicka darted erratically.

"It's not as nice if you look the other way" Assurrani said, following Camri's gaze. Camri turned around to be greeted by the Demented half of The Fringe, a dark, swampy maze of twisted roots which reminded him of Blackwood on a particularly grim day.

The three had taken their chances and stepped through the portal on the small mysterious island in the Niben basin – after a momentary sensation of weightlessness they had appeared in The Fringe. They could see a figure approaching them up a path which ran along the dividing line between Mania and Dementia. Assurrani identified her as a Golden Saint, him being a Morrowind native where those particular Daedra were a common sight in the wilderness. Ariel noticed Assurrani place a hand on the hilt of his sword, and stopped him.

"They're the soldiers and law enforcers of Sheogorath's realm" Ariel whispered. "We are here by decree of Sheogorath so they will not harm us"

The Golden Saint approached the three and drew her sword. "Identify yourselves immediately"

"So much for them being harmless" Assurrani said dryly.

"Camri Everlight, Falas Assurrani and Ariel Lasaille" Camri said to the Golden Saint. "We were told you were expecting us"

The Golden Saint smiled and sheathed her sword. "Of course. You must forgive my caution. My name is Commander Staada. I have been sent to welcome you to the Shivering Isles"

"Is it true what we've been told, Commander?" Assurrani asked. "Does Sheogorath have a daughter?"

"It is true – it was she who summoned you here. She waits for you in the inn in Passwall. I warn you that the Shivering Isles are a dangerous place at the moment. Both House Mania and House Dementia are rulerless and we are on the verge of civil unrest. And Sheogorath seems to be slowly forsaking my kind, aligning himself more obviously with the Dark Seducers. In any case, you will be safe if you stay with me. Follow me"

Staada began to lead the three down the path towards the settlement of Passwall. Camri spoke quietly to Assurrani.

"Is it wrong to think that Commander Staada is extremely beautiful?"

Assurrani turned to Camri. "Not at all, my friend"

--

The four entered the upstairs area of Passwall's inn and Staada shut the door behind them. The room was empty apart from a pretty blonde-haired woman seated at one of the tables, dressed in Mithril armour and wearing a glass claymore on his back.

"I brought them straight to you as you ordered, Latta" Staada said to the woman, who momentarily studied the other three before standing to greet them.

"I am truly honoured to meet you" Latta said. "Your reputation precedes you – news of how the three of you came together has even reached the Shivering Isles. I believe in the prophecy – I believe my mother played a part in it"

"Your name – Latta" Ariel commented. "It means 'Light' in the old Ayleid language"

"Very good, Ariel" Latta said, smiling warmly. "My mother named me"

"That's probably a good thing. If Sheogorath had named you, you would probably be called Venison or something" Camri joked. Latta laughed, as Camri stood amazed that he had just told a joke that had made a Daedric Princess laugh.

"What we are doing is very important" Latta said, suddenly speaking more seriously. "You are surely aware that events have gone far beyond the consequence of the mortal realm. Sheogorath wants me to remain here in the Isles, to help him rule it, but first I must defeat Mannimarco, who I fear has grown stronger than we realise. And a new Daedra is a great disturbance in the natural energies, one that may upset the other Daedra. I fear my existence alone may bring war to the Shivering Isles. For that reason I am not even permitted to leave Passwall until our task is done"

The three vaguely knew of Passwall, knowing it was an almost limbo-like region separating the Shivering Isles proper from the mortal realm – only those deemed worthy by Sheogorath could leave Passwall, and it seemed that at present he did not think his own daughter worthy.

"I have to confess to not knowing where to begin with our task" Latta continued. "We cannot attack Mannimarco yet – he is being sheltered in the waters of Oblivion before he is powerful enough to return to the mortal realm – and when he does, there will be trouble. Every time he resurrects himself he comes back more powerful. Our only hope at the moment is someone on the inside, someone who was a prisoner of a powerful necromancer here in the Shivering Isles for a long time, who has overheard that necromancer mention the King of Worms – Mannimarco. But she is living in the Crucible district of New Sheoth, beyond the Gates of Madness, so we have to somehow get into the Shivering Isles"

"I'm sure we can take on that big bastard guarding the gates," Camri said, referring to the Gatekeeper.

"As much as I would like to see that diabolical creation destroyed, killing the Gatekeeper would draw Sheogorath's attention to our presence. Remember, all of us apart from Commander Staada are forbidden from entering the Shivering Isles"

"I can get you in," Staada said unsurely. "But we will have to be very careful. My life will be at severe risk if we get caught sneaking in"

Latta turned to face Staada. "You would risk going against Sheogorath's will for us?"

"Ever since I found Sheogorath in his bed with three Dark Seducers I do not care what he thinks," Staada replied sternly. "We can use the Saints' Entrance – it is a tunnel leading out of the ruins that emerges in Mania. We use it to get in here, or out of here, if there is trouble. Only myself and a few other Aureal officers hold the key to it. Once we are in Mania we will be safe"

"But your problems do not end there, Staada" Latta said. "You must find Aendel in Crucible, and there is no other way to do that than to enter New Sheoth. It would be advisable for us to keep our numbers down – in fact, I would suggest you do this alone"

"This task would be simple were it not for the fact that we Aureal are forbidden to enter Crucible or the House of Dementia"

"Then you need to be creative," Camri suggested. "Commander, one of my chief skills is the ability to get into places I am not permitted to enter. Are there any circumstances in which you are allowed to enter Crucible?"

"Once I pursued a thief who stole from a village in Mania through the divide into Dementia. Once I had apprehended the thief I escorted him through Crucible to the treasury in the palace so he could pay the fine for theft. The Dark Seducers did not intervene"

"And is there anywhere in the city where the Golden Saints hold absolute power?"

"At the moment, House Mania has no holder of the throne and Sheogorath has granted it military order. In short, there is – the halls of House Mania"

"So, this is how we can get into Crucible" Camri said authoritatively. "We enter the Isles through the secret tunnel, then make our way to New Sheoth and hole up in House Mania until night falls. Then, we will have a much easier job of getting to your source undetected. If we do get apprehended, our cover is that I am a prisoner whom you are escorting to the treasury"

"And how do you plan to get out once you have her?" Latta asked.

Camri paused awkwardly. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it"

"The Dark Seducer guards know that our source is under protection by Sheogorath" Staada said. "They will think nothing of me collecting her and leading her back into Bliss. Mr Everlight, you will have to find your own way back to the Fringe if we are spotted. I need to make a few preparations, then we can leave"

Camri nodded, taking Ariel and Assurrani to one side. "I know we're supposed to do everything together but I think it is an unnecessary risk bringing you two along in this case. Stay here and speak to Latta. Find out what she knows"

Assurrani nodded. "Good luck to you, Camri"

Ariel turned to face Camri. "Use the rooftops to get around Crucible at night. No-one will see you"

Camri smiled warmly. "Thanks, Ariel"

--

The pair watched Camri and Staada leave the room, then Assurrani turned back to Ariel.

"The rooftops – did you see that in a vision?"

"No, it's just a feeling I got" Ariel replied nonchalantly.

"Did you get a feeling about anything else?"

Assurrani's words resonated around Ariel's mind. Her dreams and thoughts were constantly filled with random, flashing images, most of which made no sense or bore no relevance to her. Generally, she would eventually piece together enough images to make a logical deduction or prediction. She thought hard for anything that might be important, anything she might have seen repeatedly…

"I keep seeing a crystal," Ariel said. "A great azure crystal, somewhere atop a tower. A piece has been cut from it"

Assurrani made a mental note of what Ariel said.

"I could not tell you what this crystal bears relevance to" Ariel continued, before turning to Latta.

"My Lady, we need to establish the background to our quest. Why would Staada need to sneak into Crucible to speak to a victim of necromancy, which Sheogorath seems to have declared himself an enemy of?"

"This happened long ago, before I was born" Latta replied. "But I know this. The woman the other two are seeking is called Aendel. She was a prisoner of a renowned necromancer who lived in the Isles, Relmyna Verenim. Sheogorath learnt of the horrific practices that Verenim performed in her lair of Xaselm, but considered her a necessary evil, due to the role that Verenim's work played in defending the Shivering Isles…"

"The Gatekeeper?" Ariel guessed.

"Correct" Latta continued. "I dread to think how such a being came into existence – it was clearly once human, or parts of it were"

Assurrani shuddered briefly.

"Anyway, the upshot of it is that Sheogorath must be seen to be a public enemy of necromancy, but secretly he does not want harm to come to Verenim. And in a very devious move, he publicly announced that the Golden Saints would raid Xaselm and clear it out of any dark practices, but at the same time he tipped off Verenim, telling her to flee Xaselm. So Staada and her Golden Saints stormed Xaselm but found it empty, and Verenim is still out there somewhere.

"But the interesting aspect to this is that Sheogorath originally knew nothing of what was happening in Xaselm, before somebody he trusted greatly told him"

"Who?" Ariel asked.

"My mother. Meridia"

The other two paused to let Latta's words sink in.

"You two look in need of rest," Latta said, breaking the silence. "Let me see if the innkeeper can provide you with food and beds here"

Latta got up and stepped out of the upstairs room of the inn, closing the door behind her. Assurrani turned to Ariel.

"Speaking of beds, I'm expecting to wake up from this at any moment"

"Me too" Ariel replied. "I can sense that this is all about something else, something much bigger than necromancy or the Daedra"

"What?"

"The balance of power. I cannot tell you any more at this time, but I believe we might be very small pieces in this game"

"There was something else I was wondering about, Ariel. I thought you might know the answer – or at least be able to make a good guess at it"

"What is it, Falas?"

"How long has Meridia been involved in this for? We kept coming across references to her during the war in Argonia – the statues in Sideways Cave and all the clues leading to them, and the Marsh Spirit itself was built _inside_ a shrine to her. And now we find ourselves under orders to help her daughter. Maybe Meridia has always known her daughter would need help, and she's been engineering a series of events to draw us two and Camri together"

"I don't think so," Ariel said, thinking hard. "Camri told me he found documents about ten years ago mentioning the prophecy, and he said the documents were ancient – some were written in the Ayleid language, implying that they were written by Ayleids. I don't know how old Latta is, but if this source that Camri and Staada are going after is a mortal, then there is a timescale in this series of events, which is much smaller than you suggest it might be. Perhaps Meridia has always wanted help defeating Mannimarco, since her powers are few in Tamriel, but I believe the overlap with the affairs of Sheogorath to be a coincidence"

"It was the 'affairs of Sheogorath' that got us involved in this in the first place" Assurrani said dryly.

--

That night, Ariel Lasaille had a terrible dream that caused her to sit bolt upright in bed, in a cold sweat. It was a dream that predicted the future, telling of an event that had such great repercussions that she could not bring herself to tell anyone of it.

--

_Notes on Duality of the Great Towers of Tamriel_

_A theory states that White Gold Tower was originally built to reach the Divines – a tower to the heavens, a tower to Aethereus. The divine power of White Gold Tower comes from the gemstone that once sat atop the Tower – the Chim-el Adabal, an enormous soul gem of Ayleid origin said to contain the souls of the Divines. The Chim-el Adabal is more commonly known as the Amulet of Kings, whose centrepiece crystal was cut from the stone that sat atop White Gold Tower._

_White Gold Tower has survived the ages, unlike Red Tower, which once stood on the site of Red Mountain in Morrowind. Red Tower originally contained the Heart of Lorkhan, which of course was placed in Tamriel to allow the mortal realm to exist on its own without constant divine presence. The behaviours of Red Tower and White Gold Tower are complementary – Red Tower brought the Divine to Nirn whilst White Gold Tower attempts to take Nirn to the Divine Realm._

_However, I believe that with Red Tower long destroyed, White Gold Tower must have _another_ counterpart somewhere in Tamriel. A tower with a sinister purpose – to reach evil. What leads me to believe this is my study of the artifact known as the Necromancer's Amulet, an amulet similar in manufacture to the Amulet of Kings but wrought from a different type of stone, the likes of which I have never seen in Tamriel. If we think of a colour wheel, the dark red of the Amulet of Kings and the azure of the Necromancer's Amulet are directly opposite one another. Could the Necromancer's Amulet have been wrought from a gemstone identical, yet opposite to that which sat atop White Gold Tower? Does a Black Gold Tower lie in an uncharted corner of Tamriel?_

_- Brother Nu-Hatta, Great Thinker of the Psijic Order/PSJJJ_


	4. The Source

**Chapter 4 – The Source**

"Damn it to Order" Staada whispered under her breath. "This tunnel is supposed to be kept clear!"

In the ancient passageway deep beneath Xeddefen, a narrow tunnel rather grandly titled The Saints' Path, Camri and Staada hid in the shadows watching a tall zombie-like creature pacing backwards and forwards in front of them.

"I've never even seen one of those before" Camri whispered.

"It's a flesh atronach," Staada explained. "Relmyna Verenim created them – she's the necromancer myself and Latta mentioned earlier. It makes me sick to think of how she must have made them"

Camri slowly drew his bow and loaded an arrow into it, then waited until the flesh atronach was walking towards them, quickly aiming and firing. The arrow slammed into the atronach's temple, killing it instantly as it let out a quick, inhuman scream of pain.

"How many more are there likely to be?" Camri asked as the pair stood up out of the shadows.

"I don't know" Staada replied truthfully. "I don't even know how they got down here. But the gate is not far from here"

The two followed the passageway until it emerged in a large chamber, the passageway leading out into an aisle that led between two grand staircases, with tunnels leading into dark corridors at the tops of the staircases. A bridge spanned high across the top of the chamber.

"Ambush points," Staada explained. "In case we need to keep anyone out of The Fringe – or in it"

"I'd suspect an ambush here, personally" Camri commented. Staada stopped him and motioned him to turn around; where he saw a small alcove above the passageway he had just emerged from, with a waist-high stone wall covering its entrance.

"You would not be expecting an ambush from up there, though. I need to borrow your bow"

Camri hesitated then handed his Elven bow, a prized possession, to Staada, along with an arrow. Staada aimed at a large bust of Sheogorath at the far end of the chamber and fired, striking the bust in a gemstone mounted in its left eye, and a hidden mechanism caused the floor in front of the bust to lower into the ground, transforming a staircase which led down into a narrow tunnel. Staada handed the bow back to Camri, who noticed another, different-coloured gemstone in the bust's right eye.

"I'm guessing the other gemstone opens a tunnel that leads into Dementia" Camri said.

"It did" Staada replied as she led Camri into the tunnel. "That was the Seducers' Passage. It caved in during a battle against the Forces of Order in the Fringe, and they are yet to unblock it"

Soon, they reached a sturdy metal door which Staada used her key to unlock, heaving it open and revealing a wider tunnel, along which several golden seams ran. The stone lining the tunnel had a dark purple hue to it, and flashes of orange magicka flitted down the length of the tunnel.

"The Saints' Entrance" Staada explained. "You are in hallowed ground among my people"

Eventually Camri and Staada reached the end of the tunnel, marked by a seemingly impassable stone door. Staada placed her key in a small floor-mounted keyhole near the door and turned it, causing the stone door to recede backwards then slide into a gap in the wall. Staada hurried Camri through the entranceway, and a few seconds later the door slid back into position, Camri noticing that it had been disguised to blend in with the surrounding rocks.

"Here we are" Staada said. "The Shivering Isles"

Camri looked around – even in the dusk, he was greeted with the same explosion of vibrant colour that he had seen when he had first entered The Fringe.

"We had better go cross-country to New Sheoth" Camri suggested. "I've always found it a good idea not to stick to the roads"

"You're right" Staada suggested. "There will be Golden Saint patrols on the road. I do not want to arouse suspicion, especially amongst my own soldiers"

The journey to New Sheoth was a tough one – wanting to stay off the roads, Staada and Camri had had no choice but to traverse the border between the Mania and Dementia districts of the Shivering Isles, which was a ridge of high, steep-sloped mountains running the length of the Isles, along which the main path through Mania ran. Staying off the roads, however, had meant climbing along the slopes, which was difficult on the soft, dark soil that made up the ground of Mania. At one point they had had to climb behind a large waterfall, which if nothing else offered a sight that Camri had never seen before. By the time they reached New Sheoth, night had long fallen, something which would work in their favour.

"I'm going to distract the guard at the gate to Bliss" Staada said as the pair emerged from the dense undergrowth a few hundred yards from the walls of New Sheoth. "We leave it open all the time now that there is no real danger to the Shivering Isles. Get into the city and take a right – you'll be at the back of a shop. There'll be plenty of crates for you to hide behind. I'll come and find you there"

"I have to say, you have a very good idea of how to sneak into your own city undetected" Camri quipped.

"You learn these things," Staada replied. "Sentry duty on the gates at night is dull. I did it myself. I'd welcome my commander coming to speak to me for long enough to let someone sneak in"

"Well, if you were speaking to me I wouldn't notice an ogre striding past me" Camri replied.

"You are quite the silver-tongued rogue, aren't you?" Staada said with a wry smile. "Come on, let's get on with this"

Staada led Camri out of the undergrowth to the wall that ran perpendicular to the main wall which had the gate built into it, then up to the corner. Staada peered around the corner and saw the sentry, a Golden Saint with a gift for marksmanship called Erilla.

Approaching Erilla, Staada made care to orient herself so that the sentry would be faced away from the gates.

"Good evening, Erilla," Staada said. "I hope all is well?"

"Nothing major to report, Commander," Erilla replied. "I did spot a few Grummites up the road though, but they saw me and ran"

"They must have set up a nest nearby" Staada said with a false sigh. "I will have to send some Aureal to clear it out"

As Staada spoke, she saw Camri quickly sneak through the gates then into the alleyway to the right, as instructed.

"Keep an eye on them," Staada said as soon as she had seen Camri. "If they get too close to the city, kill them. Madgod's blessings to you"

"And to you, Commander"

--

Camri watched two Golden Saint guards walk past his hiding place, somehow knowing that they were not Staada despite looking near-identical to her, before the Commander entered Bliss and quickly headed for Camri's hiding place.

"Aendel's house is the southernmost house on the western side of the main street of Crucible" Staada said furtively. "Head for it if we get split up. I'll meet you there. Remember, you're a prisoner"

Camri took a pair of wrist-irons off his belt, which he had owned ever since Areen had broken him out of the Imperial City jail and kept for instances such as this, and clasped them over his wrists. Staada grabbed him by the forearm and led him back out into the streets of Mania – nobody paid the two any heed, presuming that Staada had simply apprehended a criminal. The pair headed up a grand stairway towards the huge, impressive structure of New Sheoth palace, Staada leading Camri through a gate into the palace grounds.

"There's no turning back from here," Staada whispered. "If anyone sees me leading you away from the palace they will know something is up… Damnit, the guard is changing!"

The pair watched as several Golden Saint and Dark Seducer guards began filing out of the palace, some relieving their comrades of duty.

"The guard is in disorder. This will be a good distraction," Camri said.

"Yes, but the guards will be moving around a lot more. They are still on duty"

Camri removed his wrist-irons and placed them back on his belt. "We'll split up then. I'll meet you in the house"

Staada nodded. "Stay out of sight. Wait at the door on Aendel's balcony and I'll come and unlock it for you"

The reason Camri had decided that the pair should split soon became apparent to Staada, as Camri recalled advice given to him by Ariel and executed a terrific leap from the palace wall, grabbing onto the roof of a building in Bliss and clambering up onto it. Locating a gap in the battlements on the great wall between Bliss and Crucible, Camri leapt again, hanging onto the battlements by his fingertips as he saw Staada hurriedly moving through the palace grounds towards Crucible, then hauled himself up. The gloomy, dank expanse of Crucible lay beneath him, reminding him of Bravil or Leyawiin on a particularly bleak day.

Camri located the main street that ran through Crucible and, checking he wasn't being watched, jumped to another rooftop, finding to his delight that most of the buildings in Crucible were connected by a single, mostly flat roof, and began scurrying along it, before a sight in front of him froze him in his tracks. Two people were fighting hand-to-hand on the rooftops, with a small crowd assembled, watching them.

"Hey, what's that?" an Orc in the crowd called, turning around and halting the fight. "Someone's up here!"

Camri looked around desperately. He glanced down to the main street but there were several Dark Seducer guards patrolling it – no good. Where else could he go?  
The Orc and two Bosmer strode across the rooftops.

"Nothing here, Balush" one of the Bosmer said angrily to the Orc. "Nothing but shadows. Fool"

"Shut up or I'll push you to your death" the Orc replied as they turned around and rejoined the crowd – the fighters started brawling again, and the crowd began to cheer loudly.

And no more than a few yards away from them, Camri shimmied along the edge of the rooftop, gripping it with his fingers, almost completely camouflaged in his dark brown leather armour. Eventually, Camri located the balcony of the last building in the row – Aendel's house – and let himself fall onto it, ducking into the shadows as a Dark Seducer guard walked past on the back street below. Eventually, there was a soft clack as the door's lock was gently opened. Camri discreetly opened the door and slid inside, still trying not to attract attention.

"Bad news" Staada whispered, without greeting him. "I got spotted by a Dark Seducer guard captain and had to explain myself. I told her I'm taking Aendel to a healer in the Fringe, so I'm covered, but if we get seen again you'll have to find your own way out"

Camri glanced out of a window that looked out over Crucible. It could not have been more than ten yards from Aendel's house to the gates that led out of the city, but they were ten yards of open ground, and there were several Dark Seducer guards on patrol.

"Where is she?" Camri asked.

"Asleep" Staada replied. "Wait here – I will go and wake her"

Camri heard voices coming from downstairs.

"_But I'm safe here, Commander"_

"_You will be safer with us"_

"_But the road back to the Fringe goes past…"_

"_Don't worry, Aendel. Relmyna Verenim is not in Xaselm anymore. She's fled the Shivering Isles, gone into hiding in Tamriel"_

Staada walked back upstairs and looked out of the window.

"It's no good," the Golden Saint said bleakly. "We'll get spotted as soon as we leave the house. You'll have to meet me outside the city gates"

"I'll leave now" Camri replied. "It might take me a while to get past the Seducers undetected"

Hanging on by the tips of his fingers, Camri hauled himself up onto the wall surrounding New Sheoth. He had had to climb back onto the rooftops, making sure to avoid the crowd of fighters on the roof again, and execute an enormous leap to reach the wall – he had made sure to drink a home-brewed potion to give him a slight boost in speed and agility so he could make the jump. Camri dropped down on the other side of the wall, again gripping it with his fingertips, and free-climbed down the rough stone until he reached the ground.

Camri made his way around the wall until he spotted the closed gate leading into Crucible. No sentry on duty – it would make his life a lot easier. Camri waited just off the side of the road leading out of the city for Staada to appear, when he became aware of a rustling sound in the dense undergrowth nearby, and drew his sword, glancing around uneasily. He couldn't see anything…

Suddenly a tremendous impact threw him off his feet and he landed painfully and clumsily on the cobblestone path, dropping his sword as he landed. The creature revealed itself – a hulking, grey reptilian beast, the likes of which Camri had never seen in his life. Camri struggled to his feet and retrieved his sword, watching as the creature executed a colossal leap over his head. Camri turned to face the creature, but was rewarded with a kick to the chest, which sent him staggering back into the undergrowth, landing face down. Camri roared in pain as thorns cut through his cheeks, hearing the creature charging towards him again.

Camri turned around just in time to see the creature swing a colossal forelimb horizontally, smashing it into Camri's head. Then, everything went black.

--

"Ah, you're awake at last!"

Camri opened his eyes, dimly aware of a female voice nearby. He winced at the pain in his head, and then sat up. He was in a bed, in a building he thought he recognised as the inn in Passwall. Looking to his side, he saw Commander Staada sitting at the bedside.

"What happened?" Camri asked weakly.

"You encountered your first Scalon" Staada replied. "A particularly large one, by any account. It knocked you out and was about to eat you alive before I fired an arrow into its head"

Camri shuddered.

"I had to carry you all the way back to The Fringe" Staada continued. "Not easy when you're trying to hold up Aendel as well"

"What happened to her?"

"She lost her foot a long time ago. That's why I thought you should come with me – I thought we would need two people to help her back to The Fringe. Ironically, what happened was the opposite to what I predicted…"

"You got her back alright?"

"Yes. Your friends are still here too. Latta and Ariel are speaking to Aendel right now – they wish to return to Tamriel when you are ready"

"It's nothing that a pint of ale can't cure" Camri said, clambering out of the bed, and placing his hand on Staada's shoulder. "Thank you for rescuing me"


	5. Dark Arts On Trial

**Chapter 5 – Dark Arts On Trial**

"Aendel, you must understand that you are perfectly safe here," Latta said gently to the Bosmer sat before her. Although it had been many years since she had been rescued from Xaselm, she still bore several scars and blemishes from her ordeal. "I understand it must have been something of a shock to be dragged from your home in the dead of night like that, but Staada's intentions were good"

"Who are you?" Aendel asked nervously.

"Do you remember the woman who helped you to heal in the Sacellum when you were first freed from Xaselm?"

Aendel nodded.

"I am her daughter. My name is Latta, and this is Ariel. We are trying to stamp out Necromancy once and for all, and we need your help"

"Is it about Relmyna Verenim?" Aendel said. "I fear I will not be much use to you – I only overheard her conversations a few times, and I cannot remember much…"

"You will be able to remember," Ariel said. "The memories are all there in your subconscious. Close your eyes. Try and imagine you are back in Xaselm listening to Relmyna"

Aendel briefly shuddered at the thought, and then eventually spoke. "I can hear her speaking. I cannot understand what she is saying, but I can hear her voice, and the voice of the other person there…"

"Who is it?" Latta asked.

"It's a man. I do not know who it is. He has a deep voice with an accent I do not recognise…"

"That's Sheogorath" Ariel explained. "In his mortal form he was a Nord from the indigenous population on Solstheim in Morrowind. It's a unique accent, not even found among other Nords"

"Sheogorath was in there?" Latta said softly, almost to herself. "Interesting. Did you ever hear anyone else?"

"There was one other conversation I heard" Aendel said, opening her eyes. "There was a Redguard, who was only ever referred to as The Witch Doctor. He told Relmyna he had found what she was looking for in Tamriel, and in exchange Relmyna released 'the prisoners'. I don't know who they were, but one was dead and The Witch Doctor vowed that one day he would kill Relmyna for it"

"The place in Tamriel," Ariel asked. "Did they mention a name?"

"The Witch Doctor referred to it as The Golden Home, and the two kept mentioning the Ayleids"

"I see what this means" Ariel said, standing up and pacing around the room while she spoke. "The Witch Doctor must have been tasked by Relmyna to find her a place to practice necromancy in Cyrodiil in order for her to release people close to him who she had taken prisoner. He would have gravitated towards Ayleid ruins, because they are naturally magicka-rich and hidden from the public eye. The Golden Home translates into the Ayleid language as 'Sancremath', which must refer to a particular Ayleid city, or at least a district of one"

"They mentioned a sepulchre too, and it requiring a key" Aendel added. Ariel turned and smiled at the Bosmer.

"That narrows it down even further. Well remembered!"

"Do you know this ruin?" Latta asked Ariel. Ariel shook her head.

"Camri probably will, though"

"I have some questions for you, Aendel" Latta said, turning to face Aendel. "Firstly, when Sheogorath came to speak to Relmyna, what were the circumstances? Did they get on well? Were they arguing?"

"He always seemed fond of her" Aendel replied. "But the last time he came – the last time I can remember him coming – they argued. He called her a necessary evil"

"Because of the Gatekeeper" Ariel suggested.

Aendel nodded. "Relmyna was the only one who knew how to rebuild the Gatekeeper"

"Secondly," Latta continued. "Did she ever mention Mannimarco or the King of Worms?"

"Yes," Aendel said uncomfortably. "Once, just before she killed one of her prisoners, she told the prisoner that the King of Worms would have mercy on her soul. She also mentioned hoping that one day Mannimarco would see her work and be impressed by it, and lamented the unavailability of black soul gems, saying it would not be a problem for the King of Worms"

"We need to find Relmyna Verenim," Latta said with authority, standing up. "She can lead us to Mannimarco. If she cannot, we will kill her"

"But what about the Gatekeeper?" Ariel asked. "Does it not defend these lands?"

"Only from whatever might arrive from Tamriel. Once Sheogorath's business with the mortal realm is complete, the portal will close. The Gatekeeper is only needed until our quest is over. Do not think that killing Relmyna will somehow weaken it – she built it, but she does not have control over it"

"There's one other thing, Latta" Ariel said. "Aendel mentioned Relmyna speaking of black soul gems"

"Yes. Do you know of these?"

"I know something about them. They are the only type of soul gem capable of containing a human or elven soul – they are the root of necromancy, and they do not occur naturally, they must be created through a dark ritual involving an astral phenomenon called the Shade of the Revenant. I'm sure the Arcane University back in Cyrodiil will be able to tell us more"

Latta walked over to a blackboard hung on one wall of the room and picked up a piece of chalk, and began writing:

--

_Four-Step Plan to Defeat Cult of Necromancy_

_1 – Locate, interrogate and neutralise Relmyna Verenim_

_2 – Cut off supply and manufacture of black soul gems_

_3 – Eliminate the source of Mannimarco's divine power_

_4 – Kill Mannimarco_

_Other priorities:_

_Determine Sheogorath's relationship with Relmyna and necromancy in general_

_Determine Mannimarco's plans, and his reason for returning to the mortal realm_

_--  
_

"Get Camri, Staada and Assurrani back in here, Ariel," Latta ordered. "We need to put this plan into action"

At that moment, Camri and Staada stepped into the room, and Latta motioned for them to read her writings on the blackboard.

"Camri, do you know of an Ayleid ruin with a district called The Golden Home, or Sancremath?" Ariel asked Camri. "Or a person called The Witch Doctor?"

"I know The Witch Doctor" Camri replied. "He's an alchemist. He got quite a lucrative job supplying the Thieves' Guild with potions for invisibility, night-eye and life detection"

"Do you know where we can find him?"

"No, but I know someone who will know where he is. Where's Assurrani?"

"He's outside practicing his archery" Latta replied.

"We should all return to Tamriel as soon as we can"

"I think I should stay here," Staada said. "I will see what I can find out with regards to Sheogorath's involvement with the Necromancers"

--

_Black Marsh, site of the Battle of the Border_

Areen walked along the wide trail leading through the dense woodlands. It had not been long since he had been here, fighting for his nation against a large group of Imperial Legion soldiers led by a corrupt general. The battle had been won, with many casualties on both sides.

But nothing could prepare Areen for the sight that greeted him when he got to a part of the trail where the battle had been turned – a length of the path where Ariel Lasaille had laid hundreds of daggers, throwing stars and other small, sharp objects hidden in the grass then used her powerful telekinetic abilities to hurl them up into the advancing band of Legion soldiers – the result had been little short of a massacre. A mass grave had been dug on the site after the battle.

A mass grave which Areen discovered to have been excavated and completely emptied

The bodies of every single fallen soldier, Legion or Argonian, were gone.

--

_North of Bravil, Cyrodiil_

"Shouldn't we wait until the morning, Camri?" Assurrani suggested as Camri tried to lead the four northwards towards the Imperial City.

"No" Camri replied. "The man I'm looking for has a very specific time when he can be found. We need to be in the Imperial City by midnight"

"That only gives us a few hours," Ariel said, guessing the time.

"Right. So we'd better get going"

The four began to walk along the road, Camri leading and Latta guarding the rear.

"Stop" Ariel whispered suddenly. "We're being followed"

Latta spun around as Camri drew his bow and aimed back down the road towards Bravil. A shadowy figure in a black robe was approaching them.

"Stop! Show yourself!" Camri called.

"Stand aside or I will kill you all" the figure replied in a subdued voice.

"Will you now?" Camri retorted. "You and what army?"

"Myself and this army"

Assurrani looked around nervously as the undergrowth surrounding them began to fill with rustling sounds as ghostly figures converged on the four. "I wouldn't have said that, Camri…"

The robed figure suddenly summoned a mace and lunged at Camri, swinging the mace wildly. Camri dropped his bow and quickly drew his sword as he rolled to the ground to avoid the attacks, then leapt up just in time to use his sword to block another mace-stroke. As the man reeled, Camri delivered the killing blow to his chest using his sword.

"They're necromancers!" Ariel exclaimed. "Look at the markings on their robes!"

"Don't worry about that," Camri said calmly, picking up his bow. "Just make sure all my arrows hit their targets"

As Camri reached into his quiver for an arrow, he glanced around looking for the other two.

A necromancer was rushing at Latta, unleashing a bolt of red magic, which Latta dodged and responded to with a burst of frost, which hit the necromancer, slowing the pace of their attack. Latta lunged forwards and sliced the necromancer's head clean from his body with her sword.

Assurrani found himself between two summoned skeletons, but executed a terrific move, slashing out with both arms simultaneously – with his right hand; he sliced through the neck of one of the skeletons with his razor-sharp ebony shortsword, and with his left hand delivered a powerful blow to the second skeleton's solar plexus with his fist, the sheer power of the attack literally smashing the skeleton apart.

Camri fired his bow wildly into the undergrowth and Ariel responded immediately, using telekinesis to curve the arrow mid-flight and slam it into the forehead of an approaching necromancer.

"Camri!" Assurrani called, fighting off a zombie. "Kill that damn conjurer!"

"There" Ariel whispered to Camri, pointing at a necromancer ducked behind a bush, visible only by Ariel's life-detection spell. Camri fired high, and Ariel once again curved the path of the arrow's flight, over the bush and into the necromancer's scalp. As Assurrani braced himself for an attack from the zombie, the creature vanished in a flash of red light. As that happened, a flash of lightning lanced past Camri and Ariel, hitting a necromancer attempting to sneak up on them from behind.

"Latta! Behind you!" Ariel shouted. Instinctively, Latta spun around, her sword brandished before her, and cut down another approaching necromancer.

Silence fell.

"There's one more!" Ariel cried. "He's getting away!"

Camri gave chase immediately, spotting a robed figure running through the undergrowth. He ran with one eye on the ground and the other on the necromancer, stepping over obstacles as if they weren't there, vaulting over rocks which the necromancer ran around, until the necromancer tripped over a log, landing clumsily in a thicket of tall grass. Camri threw himself over the log and landed on top of the necromancer, but as he did, he felt an impact on the side of his head, hitting him with a dull thud. It hadn't even hurt. What had the necromancer hit him with?

The necromancer's tactics worked, confusing Camri long enough to place his hands on the Imperial's back. Camri roared in pain as unbearable heat surged through his body from the necromancer's hands. The necromancer leapt to his feet, but had made two paces when Latta struck him down with a bolt of lightning.

Camri sat down in a daze, trying to figure out what had happened to him, as Latta ran over and helped him to his feet. Assurrani bent down and picked something up from next to the fallen necromancer's right hand.

"Seriously, my friend, almost defeated by this?" the Dunmer said wryly. Much to Camri's surprise, Assurrani handed him a summer bolete mushroom – a patch of them was growing in the grass.

"That's what I call thinking on your feet" Camri said, tossing the mushroom away. "You confuse someone for a fraction of a second, you've got an opportunity to kill them. It's good for lateral thinking, all this magic"

"There'll be a reason he was trying to get away," Ariel said, walking over as Camri swallowed a handful of mugwort seeds to ease the pain of his wounds. Assurrani searched the necromancer's body and found a note.

_The Empire is on to us. They have four people working from them – three were involved in the incident involving General Seminus, the fourth's identity is unknown. If these four apprehend you, you MUST either kill them or let them know that you have been found. If you are attacked, make sure you get away. Return to me at the rendezvous by the statue in Bruma so I can report the incident to M._

"M? That's got to be our man Mannimarco" Camri remarked. "And we've got a target in Bruma"

"We don't know who the target is, though" Assurrani replied. "We just know that, at some point, they will be standing next to the main tourist attraction of Bruma"

"There's two statues in Bruma" Ariel added.

"Well, we've got some clues" Camri continued. "Look at the handwriting – only a Breton would write as flamboyantly as that"

Ariel scowled at Camri.

"Second, you can just look for someone who seems to be up to no good" Camri said, looking at Assurrani.

"Me?" the Dunmer replied.

"Yes, you're the trained assassin here, and I see no reason for all four of us to go after this man"

"Don't you want to keep him alive though? He can probably lead us to Mannimarco"

"No-one can lead us to Mannimarco yet" Latta said suddenly. "His apotheosis is not complete. Even if it was, do you honestly believe you can get information out of someone that high up in Mannimarco's organisation? Someone who allegedly has direct contact with him?"

"Exactly. And he's obviously some sort of officer in the necromancer movement. You take him down, you disrupt them. So you two can go and kill him," Camri said, looking at Latta and Assurrani. "Myself and Ariel have business in the Imperial City – I have to find the Witch Doctor, and Ariel needs to meet her new guardian"

--

_The Shivering Isles, Sacellum Arden-Sul_

Aureal Commander Staada sat in the dark chapel with Dervenin, the High Priest of Mania. It was late at night, and the two had met for a secret council – a council of the future, of politics and of war.

"Dervenin, I am sure you have noticed a change in Sheogorath's behaviour recently" Staada said quietly, her face lit only by the pale green glow of the Flame of Agnon. "His bias is moving more towards Dementia by the day"

"I have noticed" the Bosmer replied. "But Our Lord still cannot bring himself to defile this temple of Mania by moving the Flame. As long as the Flame of Agnon burns, the Sacellum is our haven, Staada"

Staada continued. "This is caused by an imbalance of power. Dementia may not have a Duke at the moment, but it has a court, a steward. More power than we do. If Sheogorath is going to fully defer to Dementia, we will be in dire trouble"

"Mania will die without Sheogorath's divine energies" Dervenin said solemnly. "If Sheogorath fully aligns himself to House Dementia, gloom and despair will ravage our lands to the north. And…"

Dervenin hesitated, and then looked Staada in the eye. "Your people will die out"

Staada nodded, letting Dervenin's words sink in. "We have two options. We either have to get Mania back into power – install a Duke who wields genuine power, not somebody who is just a front for the House. Or we deal with House Dementia"

"Commander, might I remind you that taking any action against House Dementia at this stage will surely invoke the anger of Sheogorath? I dread to think what he might do…"

"We can take him on if he opposes us," Staada said proudly. "The province of Mania turning on him will weaken him, such is his bond to his realm. He is powerful, but not invincible"

"But if we kill Sheogorath, Mania and Dementia will both collapse. We cannot do that. Sheogorath's position is a mid-point between Mania and Dementia, both must exist to keep the realm in existence," Dervenin said, speaking his inner monologue. "But of course, there is a successor to his throne, someone who would keep the realm alive – Latta"

Staada suddenly stood up as a thought hit her. "What would happen if Latta were to complete her apotheosis, become a true Daedric Princess and claim the Throne of Mania?"

"Sheogorath would defer fully to Dukedom of Dementia" Dervenin said. "And the balance of power would be restored"

"We need to do something soon" Staada said, suddenly sounding slightly vulnerable. "The Wellspring that the Golden Saints are born from relies on Sheogorath's belief in Mania. Recently, the Seducer army has bloomed whilst I am in command of a skeleton army, barely enough soldiers to guard the city with"


	6. The Breton

**Chapter 6 – The Breton**

_Red Road, Cyrodiil_

Camri Everlight and Ariel Lasaille had parted ways with Assurrani and Latta, who had headed north to Bruma, leaving the pair to make their own way to the waterfront. They were walking along a particularly dangerous stretch of road, surrounded by marauder and bandit dens.

"Time?" Camri asked.

"Eleven-thirty" Ariel replied.

"Damn, we probably don't have time to walk all the way round to the bridge" Camri said, gazing at the Waterfront district in the distance. "And I don't fancy swimming, it looks cold"

Ariel began walking quicker. "We can make it"

Camri hurried to keep up with her. "Ariel, do you have any idea what is happening beyond the immediate?" he asked suddenly. Ariel stopped in her tracks.

"Change. More change than we can possibly imagine. The affairs of the Daedra may be about to alter beyond recognition, and the ramifications of the fact that a new Daedra can be brought into existence are enormous. Sheogorath, as an entity, might cease to exist as we know him"

"And what about back down here in the mortal realm?"

"I can sense a movement in the balance between good and evil"

"Hopefully that's good getting one up over evil as we defeat Mannimarco"

"Yes, I am fairly confident that we will succeed. I mean, we have a Daedric Princess fighting alongside us, but…"

Camri waited expectantly for Ariel to finish the sentence.

"How many of us will survive? I can foresee great destruction, battles stretching to the ends of Tamriel, great towers…"

"I don't think I can do this, Ariel" Camri said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Ariel replied, turning to Camri and placing her hand on his arm.

"Wiping out Necromancy? Defeating an evil sorcerer with divine powers? Assisting a Daedric Princess completing her apotheosis? A year ago I was an outlaw, living in the wilderness and hunting deer to stay alive"

"What about the incident that brought us together?"

"What about it? I took down a score or so of Legion soldiers in the Battle of the Border, and got us safely through the Ayleid ruin in Sideways Cave. But it was your powers that led us to the Marsh Spirit. And do you know how close I was to activating it? I nearly sentenced every Imperial citizen in the Niben Basin to death. But Assurrani saw sense and destroyed it. You two are the heroes, but somehow I have ended up leading the two of you. I can't even be relied upon to do what's right. I spent yesterday helping a military commander break her own laws!"

"Camri…" Ariel began, but Camri carried on.

"And now, against all my morals, I find myself in the direct service of the Emperor! After I rotted in his dungeon for standing up to human rights violations that he sanctioned! Look, your knowledge is the key to victory against Mannimarco, and you need Assurrani's judgement and Latta's brawn to help you in that victory, but you don't need me. I'm going to track down the Witch Doctor for you, then I'm disappearing"

With that, Camri began to stride off towards the bridge leading to the Imperial City, leaving Ariel standing helplessly in the road.

"What if the Emperor had no involvement in this?" Ariel cried out into the darkness. Camri stopped.

"What if you simply knew what you had to prevent? What if you'd seen what I had seen?"

As soon as Ariel closed her mouth she regretted what she had said. Camri ran back towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye and seeing tears running down her cheeks.

"One of us is going to die, Camri!" Ariel sobbed.

Camri took a deep breath. "Well, I'd better make sure it isn't you, hadn't I?"

"Stay with us, Camri" Ariel said softly. "Don't let the Emperor's involvement deter you. He doesn't know half the story"

Camri nodded and strode over to the side of the road, pulling a plant out of the ground.

"I never knew Tiger Lily grew around here" Camri mused. "Pass me the grapes out of our food bag. It'll get us to the Waterfront a lot quicker"

"See" Ariel said, beaming as she passed a handful of grapes to Camri. "We do need you here!"

--

Camri wandered through the slum-like housing of the Waterfront, Ariel close behind him, moving towards the glow of torchlight that he could see playing against the great stone wall that separated the housing area from the marina. Eventually, he rounded a corner to come face-to-face with a Redguard, dressed in black leather armour, holding a torch. The Redguard's face broke out into a smile.

"By the Gray Fox. Camri Everlight!" the Redguard said joyfully. "It's been years! What brings you back my way?"

"I need your help" Camri replied. "Oh, Armand, this is my friend Ariel Lasaille. Ariel, Armand Christophe of the Thieves' Guild"

Ariel looked nervously at the Redguard.

"Nice to meet you" Armand replied, offering a hand. "Don't worry, you're in no danger from us. Any friend of Camri's is a friend of mine. What can I do to help you then, my man?"

"I need to find the Witch Doctor"

Armand Christophe sighed. "Haven't heard from him for a while. I'm starting to get a bit worried. One of our footpads went to his place to pick up his newest batch of potions, said they found the house abandoned, said it looked like no-one had been there for a while. Dust, mouldy food, that sort of thing"

"He's been involved with a necromancer, Armand" Camri said, registering a look of shock on Armand's face as he spoke. "Not through choice. She blackmailed him somehow into finding her a lair in Cyrodiil. But I thought he had been released after that…"

"That was years ago, though" Ariel said. "Anything could have happened to him since then"

"Wait" Armand said suddenly. "Did you say he found her a lair in Cyrodiil?"

Camri nodded.

"You know how he never liked water, right? Well, he borrowed a dinghy off me to get to that ruin just off the Prison District. Didn't fancy the swim"

"Vilverin" Camri said. "It would make sense. It used to be a bandit lair – nothing that old Witch Doctor couldn't handle. I hid out there a few times myself. The Legion never bother with it because it's on an island and its inhabitants tend to keep themselves to themselves"

"That's the one" Armand said. "He found a key for it in his travels. Maybe he still has it. He always referred to it by its Cyrodiilic name though – the Golden Home. I never knew what he meant, really"

Ariel beamed. "That's it, Camri! Don't you remember what Aendel said about Relmyna talking about the Golden Home?"

"What in the name of Oblivion have you two got yourselves into?" Armand asked. "Taking a stand against necromancy, are you?"

"I cannot possibly even begin to explain what we are involved in at the moment" Camri sighed. "Thank you for the information"

--

_Royal Palace of Argonia, Black Marsh_

Areen hurried up the steps leading to the Palace entrance, completely dwarved by the mighty structure surrounding him – the Palace consisted of a gigantic ziggurat, with four enormous roots growing up each face of the pyramid, meeting at the summit and twisting together in a huge trunk to a staggering height, where a brilliant canopy plunged the surroundings into shadow for miles around. Only the fires of many Hist-burning beacons let one see the Palace in its full glory.

Making his way up the enormous grand staircase that led through the entrance at the bottom of the ziggurat and up to the King's chambers, located in a huge hollow beneath where the four roots met, Areen bowed before King Jararka of Black Marsh. As he stood up, he saw a man who he recognised, having met him once before in the company of the Emperor – Duke Jesper the White of Skyrim.

"Duke Jesper is here on a visit of goodwill," Jararka said, rising from his throne and sensing Areen's confusion. "But whilst he was here, he received interesting news from his messenger. Areen, you were one of the first people to set eyes on the shrine of Meridia, the home of the Marsh Spirit, that lay within the Barrier Mountains"

Areen remembered it vividly. He had found the ancient structure, along with Camri and Ariel, when a tunnel originating in Cyrodiil had emerged in the centre of a ring of impossibly steep and impenetrable mountain ridges in the centre of Black Marsh known as the Barrier Mountains.

"Such a discovery fascinated me, so I consulted the Imperial Cartography in search of any other rings of mountains such as this. Such geology is nearly always volcanic in origin, so obviously many exist in Morrowind but have since been uncovered. However, there is a similar ring of mountains to the Barriers, known as the Throat of the World, which seem completely untraversable, in Skyrim just north of the border with Cyrodiil"

"We never thought anything of it" Duke Jesper continued. "But I received a message from my soldiers in a nearby town. One of their lookouts spotted three people trying to climb the mountains. They seemed to not know the dangers of what they were attempting. By the time my rangers had got to them they had perished. But the message states that they were wearing the signature black robes of the Necromancers"

Silence fell over the huge chamber.

"Necromancy has never been as widespread in Skyrim as it is in, for example, Cyrodiil or Morrowind" Jesper said. "Whatever they were doing, they seem to know what's in the middle of that crater"

"Your Majesty, I bring other news," Areen said, turning to King Jararka. "The mass grave at the site of the Battle of the Border has been excavated and cleared out"

"By the Gods…" Jararka said to himself, then speaking to Areen again. "Who else would have any use for hundreds of dead bodies other than necromancers?"

"There were obvious tracks where they had used carriages to move the bodies" Areen explained. "I was going to follow them but I didn't want to end up on my own in a Necromancer den"

"I will assemble a group of witch-hunters and soldiers, Areen" King Jararka said. "You must lead them to these tracks"

"With respect, Your Majesty, any tracker would be able to find them" Areen replied. "I must find Camri Everlight and tell him of these two developments"

--

_Bruma, the same night_

Latta and Assurrani wandered through the streets of Bruma, both wearing thick fur coats to shield themselves from the cold and driving wind. Several guards and passers-by cast cautionary glances at Latta – they could tell there was something unusual, but could not determine what.

"There's two approaches to the statue" Assurrani explained as the two reached an intersection – the main road continued up to the north gate, whilst a small, steep alleyway led between buildings up the terrace-like levels of the city to the castle gate. "I count four getaway routes – both directions on the main road, the north gate and the alleyway"

"Five if you count the rooftops" Latta added. "What's your call?"

"I'll get onto the rooftops from the alley. You stay out of sight and go after him if anything goes wrong. Try and be discreet. If the guards get involved, we can try to explain that he's a necromancer, but I'd rather just get away with it"

"If he runs, I'll let him leave the city then go after him. I'll mark him with a light"

Falas Assurrani nodded and crept into the alleyway, Latta continuing along the main road. The guards paid them no heed, despite the fact that they were both visibly carrying weapons – Latta a Claymore and Assurrani a bow and his prized ebony sword. They were used to hunters and hikers using Bruma as a base-camp, particularly during severe weather.

Assurrani reached a pile of crates in the alleyway and clambered up them, his leather hiking boots giving him grip on the icy snow that topped them. Jumping up, he grabbed a horizontal wooden beam on the side of one of the buildings, then tucked himself up, his back pressed against the opposite wall of the narrow alleyway, and carefully climbed up until he reached the rooftops. He found himself on the highest of Bruma's terraces, and clambered up the gabled roof, constantly watching around for guards, until he found himself with a clear view of the statue.

A lone figure stood at its base – a Breton man in a green robe and hood.

Assurrani slowly unslung his bow from his back and loaded an arrow into it, had one last check around for any guards who might see him, aimed and fired.

The arrow slammed into the stony ground next to where the Breton was standing, the shaft snapping in two with the force of the impact. Assurrani swore as the Breton bolted for the north gate. He had forgotten about the effects that the cold would have had on the elasticity of his bow's drawstring – he had undershot.

"Who's there?" one of the guards shouted as Assurrani abandoned his bow and let himself fall back down into the alleyway, as Latta pretended to flee from the scene, actually heading back to the east gate.

Assurrani emerged from the alleyway and was immediately accosted by a guard.

"You there! Did you see that attack just now?" the guard demanded.

"Yes. A few minutes earlier I saw an Argonian carrying a bow acting suspiciously" Assurrani replied. "He is wearing a fur coat, like mine, and black leather armour"

"Thank you, citizen" the guard replied, running off. Assurrani smiled to himself.

Latta sprinted around the perimeter of Bruma, having emerged from the east gate. The Breton would be easy to track – she merely had to look for the newest set of tracks. She in fact spotted the Breton fleeing, running north-east away from the city, and took off after him.

The Breton spotted Latta and cast a spell at her, the bolt of green magicka completing its journey and enveloping Latta before she had chance to react. Latta tried to respond with a fireball but… nothing. Silenced.

Latta raced after the Breton, who was struggling to keep his footing on the rough, icy ground. Latta caught up with the necromancer and threw herself on top of him, knocking him clumsily to the ground. As the necromancer fell, he banged his head on a rock and knocked himself out.

As Latta regained her breath, Assurrani ran over to her.

"Did you get him?" the Dunmer asked.

"He's unconscious" Latta replied. "What do we do?"

"Stick with our original plan" Assurrani said, bending down, grabbing the Breton's head and twisting it until his neck broke. As he stood, Latta began to search the Breton's body, discovering a small notebook.

"What have we here?" Latta said to herself as she began to leaf through it. Most of the pages contained maps.

"Does any of this mean anything to you?" Latta asked Assurrani, handing the map to him.

"Let me see…" Assurrani said, examining the pages of maps. "This is a map of northern Cyrodiil, where we are now – there's Bruma, and there's a cave marked on it up in the mountains to the west. This is a map of the whole of Cyrodiil which has several forts and caves marked on it. The Dark Fissure, Fort Linchal, Vilverin… I don't know any of them, I'm afraid. And this page is very odd. It seems to be a list of every magic shop in Cyrodiil. Oh dear – perhaps we should have kept him alive after all"

"No, he wasn't important" Latta said. "Look – someone gave this book to him. It's been printed, not written. There's probably many more like him out there. And at least we've got some information now"

Assurrani continued leafing through the book until he reached the last page, which contained two pictures – one displaying the Necromancer's Amulet and one showing a large Varla Stone-like object mounted on a plinth, with the words 'Protect at all costs' printed underneath.

"Why?" Assurrani thought out loud. "The Necromancer's Amulet doesn't hold any divine power, it simply grants more powerful spellcasting abilities to the wearer"

"But we don't know what that stone is" Latta added. "Wait, do you know what colour the gemstone in the Necromancer's Amulet is?"

"It's blue, I think" Assurrani replied.

"Don't you remember what Ariel told us back in the Shivering Isles about a blue gemstone?"

"Yes I do, as a matter of fact. She said she was having visions about an azure stone situated on top of a tower"

"Do you think it's the same one?"

"I think only Ariel knows the answer to that question. We should head for the Imperial City and find the other two"

"You're right" Latta said as she began to walk back towards Bruma, where the main road was situatied.

"Latta!" Assurrani called after her. Latta spun round.

"Good work on the assassination!"


	7. Of Towers And Stones

**Chapter 7 – Of Towers And Stones**

By the next morning, Camri and Ariel had been reunited with Assurrani and Latta in Luther Broad's Boarding House, Camri's favourite inn in the Imperial City. As the four of them ate breakfast in the lower floor of the building, the door opened and two Imperial Legion soldiers stepped in.

The first, Camri recognised as Captain Itius Hayn, an officer of the Imperial guard in the city.

The second was a man in his thirties with handsome, chiselled features and cropped black hair.

The four stood up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you Knight-Bachelor Marlus Halisman of the Imperial Legion of High Rock, assigned to Ariel as her new guardian"

Camri, Assurrani and Latta greeted Halisman before he turned to face Ariel, warmly shaking her hand.

"I have heard all about you from your father, Ariel" Halisman said. "It brings me honour to be serving with you"

"Have you been briefed on our mission?" Camri asked Halisman. "We could use an extra sword for what we're about to do"

"Grandmaster Jauffre briefed me fully on your objective this morning, but I don't know what progress you have made"

"There's a big player in the necromancers, Relmyna Verenim, hiding out in Vilverin nearby. We need to find her, and probably kill her, but we don't know how well-guarded the ruin is"

"I'm ready when you are" Halisman said. Camri took in the Imperial knight, dressed in Legion-issue chainmail armour with a silver longsword sheathed on his belt.

But just as the five prepared to leave, another figure burst into the inn. Areen.

Camri's face burst into a broad grin. "I knew you couldn't stay away from us!"

Areen stepped forward and embraced his friend, then looked him solemnly in the eye.

"Camri, there's trouble. The mass grave from the battlefield has been cleared out"

"What do you mean?" Camri asked nervously.

"All the bodies are gone. Every single one of them"

Camri shook his head slowly. "We'll talk about this later. Right now I want to get this fight over with before the situation gets any worse"

--

Rather than making a lengthy journey on foot around the circumference of the city, the six rented a small coracle from the Waterfront which Camri and Halisman paddled around Lake Rumare to the outcrop of land which Vilverin was located on. Areen carried with him a rope ladder with a grappling hook at one end of each of the two vertical lengths of rope – it was a device designed to get into places in Ayleid ruins which were unreachable save for a long route through the ruin itself. Treasure hunters had often used similar rope ladders to bypass trap-laden Ayleid ruins to get straight to the sacred inner chambers.

"I've always wondered why you only ever get traps and sacred chambers in Ayleid ruins" Areen mused. "Where did the Ayleids actually live?"

"Much of the cities lay above ground," Camri explained. "The underground sections were royal halls and tombs, much like the Imperial Palace"

"Stands to reason, I suppose," Assurrani said. "They were trying to keep their treasures hidden"

"Sometimes the best place to hide something of great value is in plain view" Camri remarked, indicating White Gold Tower. "They say that the Chim-el Adabal was a nine-pointed star – the tip of one of the points was used to create the gemstone in the Amulet of Kings, so imagine how big the original stone must have been"

"What happened to a stone of such value?" Halisman asked. "It cannot possibly still be atop White Gold Tower?"

"It is" Camri said.

"But it is now merely a large semi-precious stone" Ariel added. "The important part was the tip that was removed – that part of the Chim-el Adabal contained the essence that eventually allowed Tiber Septim to become the Divine Talos"

Suddenly, Assurrani remembered something and handed the book he had found on the Breton to Ariel, opening it at the last page.

"Look at that stone, Ariel" Assurrani said. "You've mentioned it. If you can work out where it is…"

"We think it might be the source of Mannimarco's power, much in the way that the Amulet of Kings was the source of divine power in Tamriel" Latta added.

Camri looked at her inquisitively.

"The ancient towers and stones of Tamriel are a fascinating subject, Camri" Latta said. "But I will explain all this later"

--

Soon, the small boat ran aground outside Vilverin. Two necromancers raced towards them from the ruin itself, but Camri and Assurrani were both quick on the draw with their bows, nailing the two Necromancers in their heads. The six disembarked the boat and stood before the ruin of Vilverin.

Latta, who had been silent since the conversation on the boat, suddenly spoke. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"What?" Ariel asked.

"I'm going to ask you some questions, Ariel. What was the source of the divine power of the Septim dynasty?"

"The Amulet of Kings, or more specifically the Chim-el Adabal stone"

"And where was the stone kept?"

"Atop White Gold Tower"

"Alright. And what is the problem with Mannimarco?"

"He is undergoing some sort of apotheosis, transforming himself from mortal to immortal"

"Immortality is a consequence of divinity," Latta said. "But the meaning of 'divine' often goes hand-in-hand with good, but Mannimarco is most certainly evil. How do you think he might be going about this?"

"Well, the only situation where I have heard a mortal transcendence to divinity was in the case of Tiber Septim – you do not think he is using the Chim-el Adabal?"

"No. Answer me this – what colour was the Amulet of Kings' gemstone?"

"A deep crimson"

"And what colour would you consider to be the opposite of that?"

"A pale blue, much like… the picture in Assurrani's notebook… you don't think…"

"Whatever that blue gemstone is, it is Mannimarco's Chim-el Adabal. Part of the gemstone is powerful enough to drive the Necromancer's Amulet's powerful enchantments, but the _entire _stone…"

"So there is a stone that powers evil in the same way that the Amulet of Kings granted a divine connection?" Assurrani asked.

"Exactly" Latta replied.

"Then why is it not public knowledge?"

"Two reasons. Firstly, it is not on prominent display atop a tower in the capital of the Empire. Secondly, if people knew where it was, they would exploit its power. Its location must be a well-guarded secret if only Mannimarco has used its power"

"One more question" Camri said. "What can we do about it?"

"What was the root of the Oblivion crisis, Camri?" Ariel asked, cottoning on to Latta's plan.

"The Amulet of Kings was removed from the mortal realm and its power was nullified"

"And right here," Ariel said, indicating Latta, "we have someone who can very easily take the stone out of the mortal realm"

Camri laughed in sheer elation. "I love it when we know what we're supposed to be doing. Now all we've got to do is find this stone – maybe that's something we should ask our good friend Relmyna"

Areen remained silent, recalling King Jararka and Jesper the White's conversation about an impenetrable barrier of mountains in Skyrim. But no, the tower containing the stone could not be behind the barrier. How could anyone have got in there to build it if it were impenetrable? But that's what people had thought about the Barrier Mountains in Black Marsh…

--

_House of Mania, The Shivering Isles_

"Staada!" a familiar voice bellowed angrily as a figure entered the room. Staada spun round – it was Sheogorath.

"My Lord!" Staada gasped. "What brings you to Mania?"

"Where is Aendel?" Sheogorath demanded. "You know she's not meant to leave the city! Anything could happen to her. She might fall down a hole. What would you do then, Commander, if Aendel fell down a hole?"

Staada opened her mouth to speak, but Sheogorath carried on.

"You disobeyed an order from me, Staada. Don't make me angry. No-one likes me when I'm angry, apart from Haskill. But he always likes me"

"We needed information about Relmyna Verenim" Staada said coolly.

"Relmyna Verenim…" Sheogorath said. "Ah yes, do I not recall that I sent you to Xaselm to look for her but you failed in your task?"

"She is helping Mannimarco" Staada continued. "The Necromancer who you have tasked your own daughter with defeating"

For the first time in aeons, Sheogorath was speechless. Seizing the moment, Staada did something she had never done – squared up to the Prince of Madness.

"And perhaps our mission would have been a success if I had more Aureal at my disposal. If you didn't spend your life in the House of Dementia. If the Wellspring at Saints' Watch wasn't on the verge of running dry. Don't pretend that you're not trying to undermine House Mania, Sheogorath"

"I see" Sheogorath said, taken aback. "Yes, it would be a shame if the Wellspring were to run dry, would it not? A great shame indeed"

With that, Sheogorath turned around and left the room, striding back into his throne room. Pressing her ear to the door, Staada heard Sheogorath speaking to a voice she recognised as Jelfra, the Commander of the Dark Seducers.

"March on the Wellspring at Saints' Watch with all your Mazken" Sheogorath said. "Do what you will"

Staada swore to herself and raced back into the Mania throne room, addressing the other Golden Saint guards in the room.

"Come with me! Now! All of you!" Staada ordered. "We need to get out of here!"

"Why? What is it?" a young Golden Saint lieutenant, Shenra, asked of Staada.

"I just heard Sheogorath. He means to wipe us out! Jelfra and the Seducers are going to attack the Wellspring and stop it. Our only hope of survival is to not be in the Shivering Isles when that happens. We're going to have to make for the portal to Tamriel!"

"Tamriel?" another Saint asked.

"Yes. Not ideal, I know. And before you ask, we cannot take on the Seducers. Sources tell me that they now outnumber us by five to one. Come on, let's go!"

The four Golden Saints sprinted through the courtyard of House Mania, reaching the gates that led back into New Sheoth.

"I'm afraid the quickest route is through Dementia" Staada said, pausing for breath. "Get ready to fight"

Staada led the Saints through the streets of Bliss, running past two bemused Golden Saint guards towards the gate leading into Crucible.

"Come with me!" Staada called to the two Golden Saint guards. "Covering fire!"

The two guards and Lieutenant Shenra drew their golden bows and fired upon the gate as one, as it swung open and two Dark Seducer guards charged through, brandishing maces – one was struck in the forehead by Lieutenant Shenra's arrow and killed instantly, the other swung her mace hard at Staada but the agile Golden Saint leapt back to avoid the blow then delivered a colossal downward swordstroke, killing the Dark Seducer.

The six Golden Saints burst into Crucible, three of them still providing cover with longbow fire. A Dark Seducer marksman situated by the gate leading out of the city fired, striking one of Staada's Golden Saints in the temple and killing her.

"Emiel's down!" Shenra shouted.

"Come on!" Staada called back. "We're almost out!"

Staada dived to the floor in a roll and leapt to her feet again to avoid a second arrow from the marksman, before reaching her and plunging her sword through the Dark Seducer's chest. Staada threw open the city gates and was immediately accosted by another Seducer attacking her with a mace. Staada blocked the attack with her shield but recoiled with the impact, just as the Golden Saint Semiri, the old Duke's bodyguard, plunged a dagger gruesomely into the Seducer's ear, causing the Seducer guard to freeze with a look of unbearable pain on her face, before falling to the ground, dead.

Staada turned around. The other three remaining Saints were making their way towards the gate, and there were no more Seducer guards in sight.

"We must make for the Gates of Madness" Staada ordered, regaining her breath. "We don't have much time. We're not out of this yet!"

As the Saints fled from the city, torrential rain began to fall, driven into the five by a powerful easterly wind. It was Sheogorath, Staada guessed, trying to impair their progress.

--

Miraculously, Staada and the other four Golden Saints reached the Gates of Madness with little incident, apart from two young Elytra which they had fought off with ease. But as Staada approached the Gates, she turned around with a look of dread on her face.

"What is it, Commander?" Lieutenant Shenra asked.

"Only two keys exists for each of the Gates of Madness" Staada said. "I have the key to the Gate of Mania, and Sheogorath has the key to the Gate of Dementia. The other pair is buried in the innards of the Gatekeeper. They are supposed to remain locked at all times, but the door of Dementia is unlocked"

"Perhaps someone has killed the Gatekeeper?" a young Golden Saint called Anrea offered.

"No, you can hear it. Listen"

Over the driving rain, the Saints could hear heavy, lumbering footfalls behind the Gates.

"Either Sheogorath unlocked this gate himself or gave the key to someone, probably that harlot Commander Jelfra. They're waiting for us"

Staada assessed the situation. Five Golden Saints against however many Dark Seducers Sheogorath had sent to guard the Fringe – to keep the Aureal in the Shivering Isles so they would be killed.

"I cannot believe that this is what Sheogorath has come to," Staada said angrily. "Sentencing his own military chief, and the entire population of Aureal, to death! Perhaps the ruling parties of Tamriel will be kinder to us"

"We have to get through the Fringe alive first, though" Semiri said. "But what if we did not use the Gates of Madness?"

"The Saints' Entrance will be well-guarded" Staada said. "Unless… I've got an idea. Follow me!"

The four Saints diligently followed their brave leader as she traced the perimeter wall of the Fringe, following it to the north where it led into Mania, past the Saints' Entrance and west until the land ended in a sheer slope that plunged down to the sea, whipped up to a foaming maelstrom by the wind and rain. Falling into the sea would mean almost-instant death. Staada assessed the wall – it ran along the top of the steep coastline, with a narrow and precarious footpath, reduced to mud by the rain, running between the wall and the top of the sheer slope.

"Looks like someone's had to do this before" Staada said to herself as she led the five Golden Saints single-file along the path. Using her intrinsic knowledge of the Isles' geography, Staada silently motioned the group to stop at a clump of mushroom trees.

"Shenra, Anrea, I'm going to need a lot of cover. Just behind the wall here is the portal to Tamriel. Once you're on top of this mushroom tree, it's two leaps and a short run then you've made it. Arden-Sul's blessings to you all"

Staada went first. Climbing up onto a smaller mushroom tree, she used it as a stepping stone to leap up and grab the cap of the largest of the trees, her hands digging into the brittle flesh of the strange plant. As she pulled herself up she instinctively unleashed a bolt of lightning which slammed into a Dark Seducer marksman attempting to take a shot at her, sending the Seducer tumbling off the perimeter wall.

"Semiri, you come next!" Staada called as she drew her sword. "I'll cover you all!"

Semiri, the old Duke's bodyguard, climbed up next to Staada and spotted the glowing blue orb that marked the portal to Tamriel – safety. The Golden Saint took a deep breath then leapt from the mushroom tree onto the perimeter wall, then without breaking her movement, executed another leap, landing roughly on the steeply sloping rocky ground around the portal. As she clambered up, a Dark Seducer charged towards her but Staada took her down with another bolt of lightning. Semiri reached the portal and vanished into it in a flash of blue light.

"Shenra, you go next!"

By now, Shenra and Anrea were both on the treetop with Staada, their bows readied. Two more Dark Seducer marksmen were making their way towards the portal. Shenra leapt onto the wall as Anrea and Staada covered her, Anrea with an arrow and Staada with a bolt of lightning. Shenra reached the small plateau that the portal was situated on, but had no sooner found her footing when one of the Dark Seducers dropped her bow and drew a dagger, hurling it overarm at Shenra. The dagger thudded into Shenra's chest and killed her instantly.

"Take them down!" Staada shouted as Anrea nailed the Dark Seducer who had killed Shenra with her bow. "There's more coming!"

The fifth Golden Saint, Leani, went next. Staada surveyed the situation grimly as she killed the other Dark Seducer with a bolt of lightning, leaping to one side as the Seducer's final arrow hit the mushroom tree with a dull splat. At least ten Seducers were making their way towards the portal. They didn't have much time…

Leani made her leap from the perimeter wall, athletically landing on the top of the plateau, and was mere feet from safety when an arrow shot through the air and pierced through her heart.

"Sniper…" Leani gasped as she toppled to the ground. Staada looked around but could not see the marksman, then instinctively shoved Anrea towards the edge of the tree just as an arrow whipped past where she would have been standing. Anrea jumped and cleared the perimeter wall, landing clumsily on the other side and beginning a desperate scrabble up towards the portal. Staada, like the other Saints, made the traverse in two leaps, and as she landed threw an arm down to help Anrea up. As the two reached the plateau, Staada felt a sear of unbearable pain as an arrow slammed into her forearm. Grimacing, Staada kept focused on the portal, still dragging Anrea along behind her. The pair lunged for the portal, and were engulfed by a brilliant flash of blue light.

Safety.


	8. Vilverin

**Chapter 8 – Vilverin**

Staada collapsed with exhaustion as soon as she fell out of the portal, soon feeling the welcoming grasp of Simiri helping her to her feet.

"Are you alright, Commander?" Semiri asked, indicating the black arrow jutting from Staada's arm.

"I've had worse," Staada said as she agonisingly wrenched the arrow from her arm whilst simultaneously casting a healing spell on herself.

The three took in their surroundings. Staada had been on Tamriel before, but the other two Saints had never seen it before in their lives. They stood alone on a small island, bearing the distinctive appearance of the Shivering Isles – it even had a north-south divide between Mania and Dementia. The island was situated in the middle of a wide river basin, surrounded by dense forests, with towering mountains in the distance to the east and a small, decrepit-looking town to the west.

"What can we do now?" Anrea asked. "How long must we wait before it is safe for us to return?"

"Somehow, we have to find Latta" Staada said, gazing around her. "She might be the last hope of the Golden Saints"

"How can we possibly hope to find her in all of Tamriel?" Semiri asked somewhat pessimistically.

"They key is Meridia, Latta's mother" Staada said, sitting down on a nearby rock. "You two may not know this, but the Golden Saints are Meridian in origin. We are similar to Meridia's Auroran warriors. In the beginning, they were the males of our species. I do not know how we came to be in Sheogorath's service, but I do know that male Golden Saints have not existed for long on the scale of Aethereus' history, and were created by some sort of divine intervention from a distant source. All I know is that if we can find a shrine to Meridia, she will help us"

--

_New Sheoth, Palace throne room (Dementia side)_

Sheogorath scanned over the sheets of paper that Haskill had just handed to him.

"And now, Master, I really must attend to the maintenance of House Mania now it has been all but emptied" Haskill said. "Do not hesitate to summon me if you require me again"

Sheogorath nodded vaguely, engrossed in the words written on the papers.

_Sheogorath,_

_As you instructed I searched Latta's quarters. It seems she has taken quite an interest in abstract magic and may well have paid a visit to Dyus. I might also guess that she has communicated with Meridia. I found many pages of notes that she and others had made and can be summarised thus:_

_Mortal victories against Dagoth Ur and Mehrunes Dagon should not be viewed in good light as two divine artifacts – the Amulet of Kings and the Heart of Lorkhan – were destroyed._

_White Gold Tower is one of many, but is the only one whose location is known. Note the fact that the mortals seemingly have not explored their own realm fully, or have managed to somehow lose the knowledge that dictates the location of at least five towers._

_These towers are very important to the safety of Tamriel, but it is fact the stones associated with these towers that create the effect – hence the destruction of the Amulet of Kings/Chim-el Adabal (the Second Stone) and the Heart of Lorkhan (First Stone) being to the detriment of mortal safety._

_Meridia warns of being misled into destroying the Third Stone, located in Snow Throat Mountain._

_White Gold Tower appears to be semi-sentient._

_--  
_

_Vilverin, exterior_

"I know the architecture of Ayleid cities quite well," Camri said, gazing over Vilverin. "Particularly those that are built underground like this one. Near the entrance there will be a bridge above the main walkway that will lead directly to the sepulchre, where I imagine Verenim will be hiding. It saves one from having to trace a route through the whole ruin. Latta, much of this concerns Daedric affairs so perhaps you should be the one to speak to her. Assurrani, you go with her in case anyone needs killing. Ariel and I will explore the rest of the ruin. Areen, Halisman, that leaves you two on sentry duty"

"With respect, Camri, my job is to protect Ariel" Halisman objected.

"I know, but if I was trying to defend an Ayleid ruin from necromancer reinforcements I'd want a Legion Captain leading the defense"

Halisman sighed and nodded. "Very well"

Areen and Halisman watched the other four make their way towards the ruin.

"Don't worry" Areen said. "His leadership style always takes time to get used to"

--

The four crept into the ruin, Assurrani carrying the portable rope ladder, until they stopped and Ariel indicated a narrow stone bridge above the main passageway. Assurrani carefully threw the ladder up, hooking its two grappling hooks over the edge of the bridge, and Latta began to ascend it.

"You might need this" Camri whispered, offering a strange object to Assurrani.

"The Skeleton Key?" Assurrani replied, examining the object.

"Yes. Ariel said that the door into the sepulchre requires a key, but no lock is unbreakable. That will make the job a bit easier for you"

As Assurrani and Latta ascended the rope ladder onto the bridge and made for the sepulchre, Camri and Ariel continued down the passageway. Suddenly, they heard footsteps – evidently they had aroused the suspicions of someone. In the dim light, Camri could make out a figure approaching them. With one hand he drew his sword, and motioned Ariel to step back with the other. A voice called out.

"Who goes there… Camri? Is that you?"

Camri's face broke out into a wide grin as he realised who the voice belonged to.

"Yes, it's me, Witch Doctor" Camri called back. The figure began ascending the stairs quickly towards them, revealing itself to be a tall, lean Redguard with windswept hair, wearing a black robe over a bulky-looking suit of leather armour – The Witch Doctor.

"What are you doing here, old friend?" Witch Doctor asked sternly. "Vilverin's not safe anymore"

"I could ask you the same thing" Camri replied. "I thought you gave up working for Verenim years ago"

"You know, huh? Well, she couldn't risk me bleating to the Empire once they started poking their nose around in necromancy. She's employed me as a guard here. She pays me well, but I'm not allowed to leave. Didn't really give me much choice in the matter, you know? Go on then, what brings you here?"

"We're here to deal with Verenim. Things have changed, Witch Doctor. Reluctantly, I'm with the Empire now. I'm in the fight against necromancy"

"You're here to kill her? You're not in for an easy ride, my friend. This is a big necromancer den"

"I've got an ex-Morag Tong man and a powerful warrior on her case. Me and Ariel are going to search this place for information"

"Camri, if you were anyone else my sword would be embedded in your throat by now, but your motives are always right, and I'm desperate to get out of this hole. Let me help you. You'll need my keys to get into a few important places"

"Important places?"

"Yeah, I've got the key to Relmyna's study. You said you were here for information…"

"Let's go" Camri said firmly. "Lead the way"

-

Latta and Assurrani ran, single file, down a narrow corridor that had been found beyond an ancient gate, which Assurrani had used the skeleton key to pick the lock of. The pair burst into a large ceremonial chamber… and stopped abruptly in their tracks.

Stood in front of them was a Dunmer woman, surrounded by no less than seven necromancers.

"Relmyna Verenim, I presume?" Assurrani said coolly.

"The very same" Verenim replied. "And you, you must be Falas Assurrani. The assassin-turned-do-gooder I've heard so much about. And who could forget Latta, the fruit of that fool Sheogorath?"

"Sheogorath saved your life" Latta said. "He tipped you off so you could escape. You've got him to thank for the fact that you're not impaled on the end of a Golden Saint's longsword"

"Cut to the chase" Verenim snapped. "What are you doing here? Why shouldn't I order my guards to kill you?"

Sensing the danger, Latta suddenly leapt on top of Assurrani and threw him to the ground just as a ferocious volley of magic blasted over them. Latta jumped to her feet and let off two bolts of lightning, one from each hand, killing two of the necromancers. As the other five watched this incredible attack in shock, Assurrani pulled a dagger out from his belt and threw it overarm, skilfully pinning Verenim to the wall of the chamber through the fabric of the left arm of her robe. Verenim tried to wrench the dagger free, but to no avail, as Assurrani ran over to her and used his sword to pin her other arm to the wall. He would have to use his bow from here.

"Falas!" Latta shouted. "Skeletons!"

Assurrani whipped round and saw Latta parrying with two necromancers, both armed with maces, as two summoned skeletons staggered towards her. Assurrani raced up to one of them and kicked it in its back, shattering its spine and causing it to disappear in a flash of magic, making sure to grab the axe it was carrying before it disappeared. Swinging his newly-acquired silver axe, Assurrani hewed the second skeleton's head from its body, then, not missing a beat, slammed it into the back of one of the necromancers that Latta was fighting. Latta then delivered the killing blow to the other necromancer, then the pair turned to face their final two opponents. Assurrani cast the axe to the ground and drew his bow, loading an arrow as he sidestepped to dodge a fireball. Latta returned two fireballs, again propelling one from each hand, forcing both necromancers to dive to the ground. As one got up, Assurrani nailed him in the scalp with his bow, gruesomely splitting his head like a watermelon, and Latta lunged at the other, running her sword through his chest before he had chance to get his bearings.

Silence fell over the chamber. Relmyna Verenim had stopped struggling to get free.

Latta walked over to the Dunmer and held her sword across her throat.

"Now we're alone, I think it's time for a little chat, don't you?"

"What do you want, Latta?" Relmyna asked, resigned.

"I don't want to have to kill you" Latta said. "Do you know why you were allowed to go free?"

Relmyna shook her head.

"Sheogorath needs you in the Isles. Apart from creating the Gatekeeper you are a useful commodity to the isles. I know of the healing work you have done. I understand that you once healed Commander Staada in the battlefield, removed an arrow from her heart. Had you not done that, she would have died. But Sheogorath wanted someone in particular to think that he had taken a stance against necromancy"

"Who?"

"Meridia. Of all the Daedra she is the most outspoken against your dark art. Sheogorath was trying to impress her, it's that simple. My task is to stamp out necromancy in Tamriel, not the Shivering Isles. As long as you base yourself purely in Dementia you will be safe there"

"You're… You're going to let me go?"

"I see you share your mother's compassion, Latta" Assurrani said in genuine admiration.

"I will let you go if you give us the information we need, and if you promise to go straight back to the Shivering Isles once our business is done. If I see you in Tamriel again, I will not hesitate to kill you"

"Or maybe not" Assurrani whispered to himself.

--

"This big room coming up is the mustering station," the Witch Doctor whispered. "Looks like someone twigged onto the fact that something was wrong. It's filling up"

The three were quietly descending a stairway that, through a large iron grate at its end, they could see a large open chamber lit by torchlight.

"The study's on the left side of the chamber" the Witch Doctor continued. "Stay here. I'll go and unlock it for you. When I've done that, give 'em hell"

"This is very risky, Witch Doctor" Camri said. "You could very easily get killed"

"I would welcome death right now, brother"

Camri said nothing as the Redguard led them on. Eventually, he motioned them to stop and strode purposefully into the large room. Camri and Ariel heard voices coming from inside the mustering station.

"_Witch Doctor. What's going on?"_

"_Word on the street is that the Empire are planning a big raid on us. They'll send the Expeditionary Force in who'll probably work out how to go the back way. Watch the lower door down there – that's where they'll come from"_

_Clever, _Camri thought to himself.

"_Hey, that's Relmyna's study! Are you allowed to go in there?"_

"_Yeah, why do you think I've got a key?"_

The necromancers were starting to get suspicious. Camri glanced around, looking for loose items, preferably sharp ones, and found the pieces of a broken barrel and some shards of glass from a smashed potion flask. As quietly as he could, Camri scooped them into the path of the doorway with his feet.

"For the love of the Nine, wait until I'm out the way" Camri whispered to Ariel. "Come in and help me once you're done. I'll cover you"

Ariel nodded as the air filled with the loud clack of a lock being opened. Camri nodded to Ariel.

_Go._

Camri drew his sword and raced into the chamber. A necromancer squared up to him and licks of flame began appearing at his fingertips, but Camri danced forwards, executing a full spin and decapitating the necromancer. Then, he leapt to the left, towards Relmyna's study, just as Ariel unleashed the full power of her telekinetic abilities and a barrage of razor-sharp glass and wood shards blasted out of the passageway, gruesomely cutting down several of the necromancers. Then the Witch Doctor came into play, drawing his sword and slaughtering a necromancer who was standing near him. This threw the remaining guards into confusion – Camri and Ariel seized the moment and bolted for the study, racing into it, dodging fireballs and lightning bolts, as Witch Doctor slammed the door behind them and locked it.

"Ayleid stone – they're not getting through that," the Witch Doctor said, tapping the door. "I hope you've got an escape plan"

"We'll come up with something," Camri said. "Let's see what Relmyna's got in here"

Ariel was already stood at a large stone workbench, instinctively picking up papers and documents that she knew to have some sort of importance. Then, her gaze was drawn to some papers stuck to the wall – a large map of Tamriel with several locations marked on it, which Ariel committed to memory, and a calendar, with a particular date circled with a thick red line – the 13th of Rain's Hand – four days' time.

"Clear her out" Camri said as he began shovelling handfuls of the documents that Ariel had sorted into a large leather backpack. "What's happening on the 13th?"

"Look, there's other dates marked" Ariel said, still examining the calendar. "Every seventh day has SR written next to it – the Shade of the Revenant. The 13th is one of those. Every eighth Revenant one comes along that is brighter and more powerful than the others. The 13th must be one of those… but none of the others are marked… unless Relmyna intends to use the more powerful Revenant for something"

"No idea what you're talking about, Ariel"

"The Shade of the Revenant is an astral phenomenon involved in the creation of black soul gems. It happens once a week at certain sites around Tamriel"

"Do you know any of them?"

"Only by name. The Dark Fissure and Fort Linchal are the only two I know"

"The Dark Fissure's there" Camri said, pointing on the large map of Tamriel on the wall. "It's a big cave high up in the mountains near Cheydinhal. I see Relmyna know this too – it's marked on the map"

"_Everyone_ knows about Dark Fissure, Camri," the Witch Doctor said. "A big fight went down there when the Mages' Guild were fighting Mannimarco a few years ago. Everyone knows it's best to stay away from there"

"I seem to spend my life in places that it's best to stay away from. And I've got an escape plan"

Camri handed a phial of potion to Ariel. It was a mixture of carrots, clouded funnel cap mushrooms, ginseng and water hyacinth – a potion that Camri had always carried with him ever since he had met Ariel, which he used to fortify her magical abilities to semi-godlike levels as and when it was required. Then, he took all of the arrows out of his quiver. Ariel nodded in understanding.

"Good luck to you both" the Witch Doctor said as he unlocked the door and threw it open.

In an instant, Ariel took several gulps of the potion and ran out into the chamber as Camri tossed his arrows high up towards the ceiling of the mustering station. Then, with a flick of Ariel's wrists, each arrow took on a flight of its own, all with flight paths directed straight towards every single remaining necromancer. It was a massacre – more than ten remaining necromancer guards, all killed in an instant.

"There'll be more on their way!" Witch Doctor called. "Run!"


	9. I Dream Of Crystal

**Chapter 9 – I Dream Of Crystal**

Camri and Ariel had located Assurrani, Latta and the captive Relmyna Verenim, and had also fetched Areen and Knight-Bachelor Halisman from outside. Witch Doctor had fled to the Imperial City as soon as he had made good his escape.

The group had briefly discussed Camri and Ariel's findings, knowing time to be at a premium.

"So, Relmyna" Camri asked, walking towards the captive. "The 13th of Rain's Hand. What's so special about that date?"

Relmyna said nothing.

"We know about the connection to the Shade of the Revenant" Ariel said. "You even have the Dark Fissure marked on a map"

"Since you'll doubtless go there anyway I might as well tell you" Relmyna sighed. "Every prominent necromancer in Tamriel has been told to meet outside Dark Fissure at 1am on the 13th. You surely know that that date is a special Revenant, one that grants more power. You want to know why that particular Revenant has been selected. I can tell you honestly that I do not know"

"It worries me," Ariel said, turning back to the group. "Injection of power is the final stage of apotheosis. Tiber Septim used the power of the Chim-el Adabal to become Talos, and Martin Septim used the same crystal to assume the avatar of Akatosh"

Latta approached Relmyna. "Perhaps you can tell us this, then. Who has the Necromancer's Amulet?"

Relmyna smiled wickedly. "It has been returned to its rightful owner. It is being sheltered with Mannimarco in the Waters of Oblivion"

"So on the 13th, I'm guessing somebody is planning to combine the powers of the Revenant and the Necromancer's Amulet to bring the newly-immortal Mannimarco back to Tamriel" Camri mused. "Thankfully, we can now be there to stop it"

"And you think you can stop Mannimarco by plunging a sword through him?" Relmyna spat. "His power does not come from an amulet, or some celestial phenomenon. His power comes from hallowed ground, the temple of the necromancers, a conduit for evil!"

Suddenly, Relmyna curled her fingertips round so that they were touching the palms of her hands, and began to convulse and buck wildly against the blades holding her in place as electricity surged through her body. Then, she keeled forward, dead.

"Don't worry" Camri said. "We know enough. Latta – that's stage one of your four-stage plan complete. What was next?"

"We need to eliminate the manufacture of black soul gems, and seek and destroy the source of Mannimarco's power"

"I'll take the second one. I'm going to go to the Dark Fissure on the 13th and see what I can learn. Ariel, you should come with me. Areen, Latta, Assurrani, I'm leaving you to eliminate the black soul gem manufacture"

"How do we do that?" Latta asked.

"First, call on some old friends of mine. Go to the Garden of Dareloth in the Imperial City – at midnight every night a man called Armand Christophe will be there. Tell him you're with me, and tell him you need every magic shop and Mages' Guild branch raided and cleared out of grand soul gems. I'll pay the expenses. Do not destroy the soul gems, just keep them out of harm's way. Then go to Fort Istrius, Fort Linchal and Wendelbek and destroy the altars there"

"That's a lot to take in" Assurrani quipped.

"What do you want me to do, Camri?" Halisman asked, reserved.

Camri smiled warmly at the Imperial Knight. "You're coming with Ariel, of course!"

--

The group reached the outside of Vilverin without incident, but then noticed two Legion soldiers approaching from the ring road, escorting a strange golden figure.

"That's a Golden Saint" keen-eyed Assurrani said, identifying the figure. Camri followed his gaze.

"More specifically, that's Staada. She doesn't look in a good way. Cover me"

Assurrani drew his bow and crouched down, drawing a bead on the approaching soldiers as Camri ran over to meet them. Staada's face visibly lit up when she saw Camri.

"Camri, thank Arden-Sul!" she said weakly.

"You'd better not have done this to her" Camri said, addressing the two Legion soldiers.

One of the soldiers opened his mouth, but Staada spoke first. "They saved me, Camri. We got attacked by a big group of mages in black robes"

"Necromancers" Camri explained. "You can let her go now, gentlemen. I'll look after her"

The Legion soldiers released Staada and she collapsed into Camri's arms. Camri noticed her body was covered in grazes and scorch marks, and there was a large arrow entry wound on her arm.

"What are you doing here, Staada?" Camri said, holding the Golden Saint tightly.

"Sheogorath turned. I had to flee the Shivering Isles. Three of us made it to Tamriel, but only I survived the attack from the necromancers"

Camri beckoned Latta over.

"What happened?" Latta asked.

"It's my fault. I confronted him about how he's aligning to Dementia, then he ordered the Dark Seducers to march on the Wellspring at Saints' Watch and stop its flow. My only hope of survival was to flee. I don't know what to do…"

"Camri, I have to go back to the Shivering Isles and deal with this problem," Latta said sternly. "I know Sheogorath's whim might change by the second but I will not let him condemn an entire race to death like this. I will speak with Meridia too. Staada, you should stay in Tamriel. I don't think the Shivering Isles are safe to return to yet"

"We've got a few days to rest" Camri said to Staada. "You can stay with us – you'll be safe"

--

Camri awoke abruptly as he heard a muffled scream coming from next door, followed by rapid breathing. Looking around the small room he was in, he could see Assurrani, Areen and Halisman still sleeping – none of them had heard it. Dawn was just beginning to break through the shuttered window.

Climbing out of bed, Camri picked his sword up and cautiously opened the door, leaving the room and walking out into the hallway of the top floor of the inn, to be greeted with the sight of Ariel gazing out of the window, breathing rapidly.

"Ariel?" Camri said, approaching her. "Was that you screaming?"

Ariel nodded.

"Bad dream?"

Turning to face Camri, Ariel spoke softly. "That doesn't even begin to describe it, Camri. I saw terrible things. The end of the world. Oblivion gates, Daedra, destruction… Tamriel was burning. Huge voids were appearing in the ground and swallowing up everything in their path…"

"Looks like we've got some tough times ahead of us" Camri said. "We'd better warn the Emperor about this…"

"Camri, I probably should have told you this before, but… the vision I had about the blue crystal. I've had it before, years and years ago. My dreams and visions don't necessarily relate to whatever I'm currently involved in. When I first saw Halisman I recognised him from an old dream"

"Wait here" Camri said, running back into his room and grabbing a notebook and a quill, then rejoining Ariel.

"We need to ascertain whether what you just saw is to do with Mannimarco, or something else. Now, during the Oblivion crisis, did you see an Oblivion gate?"

"No, the crisis didn't really hit High Rock. There was one in Wayrest but I never saw it"

"Alright. Draw the one you saw in your dream"

Ariel obliged, drawing a rough sketch in Camri's notebook. It depicted an Oblivion gate made of two horn-like pillars, surrounded by jagged, grey rocks.

"That's one of Dagon's" Camri explained. "I saw a fair few of them during the Oblivion crisis. Each Daedra has their own type of gate – you've seen Sheogorath's one, it looks nothing like this"

"So we need to find out if Dagon is involved with Mannimarco?" Ariel asked.

"Exactly!" Camri said, smiling. "When it opens in a few hours I'm going to go to the Centre for Daedric Intelligence at the Arcane University. You should come with me"

--

Three hours later, Camri and Ariel, accompanied by Marlus Halisman, approached the Centre for Daedric Intelligence in the grounds of the Arcane University and knocked on the door. A moment later, Torasal Sarethi opened it.

"Ah, gentlemen, and lady, please come in" Sarethi said, ushering the three in. "What can I do for you? How goes the fight against necromancy?"

"We're making ground" Camri replied. "We've identified the source of Mannimarco's power, we just don't know where it is…"

"Interesting. Very interesting. I'm sure you've had many encounters with Sheogorath too – anything interesting you could tell me?"

"We could spend all morning telling you about Sheogorath's antics" Ariel said. "But we've got a more important question"

Sarethi looked at the three expectantly.

"Which Daedra is sheltering Mannimarco?" Camri asked.

Sarethi hesitated, unsure of the answer.

"Or, more specifically, is it Mehrunes Dagon?"

"I would stake my life on it not being Mehrunes Dagon. Remember, the portals from here to his lands are sealed forever now. The two Daedra with the strongest connections to the Undead are Malacath and Namira"

"Right. And are any Daedra known to have Oblivion gates of the same appearance as Dagon's?"

"You mean the ones shaped like the Daedric letter O? No, only Mehrunes Dagon ever creates those"

Camri turned to Ariel, a deeply worried look on his face. "That means that you have foreseen a time in the future when the portals between here and Dagon's plane of Oblivion are undone. We need to tell someone about this. We'd better request an audience with the Emperor…"

"Mr Everlight, in my experience I have always found Chancellor Ocato to be easier to deal with" Sarethi suggested.

"Me too" Camri conceded.

--

Her voice echoing around the vast and empty main hall of the Elder Council Chambers, Ariel explained everything to High Chancellor Ocato – her dream, and what it meant, and how it had nothing to do with the fight against necromancy.

"This does sound like a grave matter indeed" the Altmer said, having let Ariel's words sink in. "I will brief the Emperor on this immediately. Thank you for coming to me. Might I ask how progress in your quest is going?"

"We're onto a few major leads," Camri said. He had always trusted Chancellor Ocato, and knew him as a respectable and honest man. "Something big is happening at Dark Fissure in a few days' time. We think it could be Mannimarco finally returning to walk Tamriel. And we have identified the source of his divine power, but alas not its location"

"I'll tell the Cartography that you're free to browse all of their maps" Ocato said. "What do you think his power source might be?"

"A gemstone, hidden in a tower in a remote corner of Tamriel" Ariel said. "We plan to use Latta to spirit the gemstone away to the Shivering Isles – we're hoping that the removal of it from Tamriel will drain Mannimarco's divine power, much in the way that the loss of the Amulet of Kings effectively ended the Septim Dynasty"

Ocato nodded, impressed at the plan and the depth of Ariel's knowledge.

"The Amulet of Kings fascinates me," he said. "I have seen first-hand what it can do. Anyway, thank you for relaying this information to me. I will go and speak to the Emperor immediately"

--

Within an hour, Camri, Ariel and Halisman had been located by two of Chancellor Ocato's personal guard, re-supplying with arrows, alchemy ingredients and other equipment in the Market District. Camri recognised one of the guards as Merthur Calvia, a man he had known for a long time – the pair had done a lot of hiking and exploring together in their formative years and had kept in touch ever since.

"Camri, the Emperor wishes to see you" Calvia said to his friend. The look on his face suggests it was bad news.

"Do you know what it's about?" Camri asked.

"I do" Calvia replied. "I would rather let him tell you, though. Since he's a champion bullshitter I expect he can word it a lot better than me"

Dreading what was to follow, the three followed Calvia and the other guard back to the Council Chambers, where they found the Emperor waiting with four more guards – the fact that the Emperor seemed to be anticipating an attack or violent reaction did little to refill Camri's confidence.

"Camri, Ariel, Marlus" Emperor Carius said, greeting the three. "Let me tell you that this was not an easy decision to come to, but I am doing it for the good of everyone"

"Get on with it" Camri said under his breath. The Emperor either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him.

"This dream that Ariel had seems to be an early warning to what could be a major crisis, something on the scale of the Oblivion crisis – a major threat to the people of Tamriel. If we are to repel whatever this threat is, we need to know more, so I cannot risk harm coming to Ariel. It is my intention to remove her from your mission forthwith"

The three stood in shocked silence, before Camri spoke.

"You know of the prophecy, Emperor. It has to be Assurrani, Ariel and myself. Peripheral members come and go. But think of what the Empire went through to bring us together! How many people lost their lives! And now you're undoing it?"

"Many more people will die if we lose Ariel's gift of foresight" the Emperor retorted. "I have been on the run all my life from people like you" Ariel said, her voice containing venom that Camri had never heard before. "People who want to exploit me"

"I can assure you that no harm will come to you, Ariel. Do you not trust the Empire?"

"I trust the Empire, but I don't trust its leader"

"Ariel, I'm afraid you leave us with little choice"

"You leave me with little choice too" Ariel said, before turning to face Camri. "I think this is the right thing to do. The Emperor is right – if I foresee what's going to happen to Tamriel in the future, preparations can be made. Lives can be saved"

"Do not think you will be a prisoner, Ariel," the Emperor said. "You will be free to go wherever you want in the Imperial City, and I will keep Halisman on as your personal guard"

"Much as it pains me to say this, Ariel," Camri began, "We can get by with this solution. You know that your strength does not lie in the battlefield, which is where our quest is now turning to. I will come and visit you in the City to ask about any useful information you might have… and just to see you of course"

Ariel hesitated for a long time. "Alright. But I'm not answering to you. Put Chancellor Ocato or the Arch-Mage in charge of me"

"Once again, you leave us with little choice," the Emperor said somewhat reluctantly. "We need you under our protection. You shall be placed under the executive watch of Chancellor Ocato"

With that, Camri turned to Halisman and shook his hand. "I haven't known you for long, Marlus, but I was wrong not to trust you at first. You're a good man. Look after her"

Then, with tears welling up in her eyes, Ariel embraced Camri. Camri held his friend tightly in his arms as he spoke to her softly.

"I'll miss you, Ariel. I know I'll see you frequently but it just won't be the same. We've been through a lot together. It doesn't feel right taking on Mannimarco without you"

Eventually, the two parted and Camri left the Council Chambers, making a point of not acknowledging the Emperor.

--

Walking into the Foaming Flask Inn, Camri quickly located Assurrani, Areen and Staada. Staada was wearing a blue mage's robe, sourced from the Arcane University, along with its accompanying hood – with her golden skin and delicate features, dressed such as this she could easily pass herself off as a High Elf to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

"Camri… You look terrible. What is it?" Assurrani asked.

Camri told the other three what had just happened, about Ariel being withdrawn from the quest. Once he had finished, no-one spoke, so he broke the silence.

"From now on we all stick together. We've been on too many different paths at once. I can't bring Ariel and Latta back – yet – but now our number has been reduced so much I don't think we should split up like I'd planned. The Shade of the Revenant is tonight"

"I want to hear your plan for the Revenant, Camri" Assurrani said. "It sounds to me like you're planning on going in blind at the moment"

"We're not going in blind. If we're right and tonight is Mannimarco's return to Tamriel, we have one more thing we need to find out. The location of the necromancers' temple – where that blue gemstone is, and other things, like if there's a key or anything we need to get in there. If we take out a few necromancers while we're there, that's an added bonus"

"We've trusted you this far and you have always come out on top, Camri" Areen said. "To Dark Fissure it is"


	10. Enter Mannimarco

**Chapter 10 – Enter Mannimarco**

_Dark Fissure, just after midnight, the 13__th__ of Rain's Hand_

The four had followed Camri's lead to the top of a small ridge, where they had a clear view of Dark Fissure. At the stroke of midnight they had witnessed the incredible phenomenon of a ray of purple light lancing down from the heavens, from some unknown cosmic source, and shining down on the altar that lay outside the cave. In the distance, they could see similar purple lights betraying the locations of the other sites where the Shade of the Revenant occurred.

"I wonder why it happens?" Camri asked, almost to himself.

"Dark arts" Assurrani replied. "Probably something we'll never understand, but I'm guessing that getting rid of this crystal will stop it. It seems to serve no purpose other than to aid evil. You got a plan yet, Glorious Leader?"

"Let's just see what happens. If in doubt we attack hard, and let Mannimarco know what he's facing"

"Look at that!" Staada whispered loudly, pointing towards the cave. Two figures in black necromancers' robes had just emerged from the entrance carrying something with them – it appeared to be a large wicker basket. Areen, with the most gifted sight of the four, examined closer and saw that the necromancers were also carrying a huge piece of silvery fabric and a small metal furnace. Quickly, the Argonian realised that it was a hot-air balloon. Mannimarco's escape.

"We'd better get closer" Areen suggested.

Camri tested the wind. "Southerly. He's heading north. If he plans on using a hot air balloon to get to the necromancers' temple, he will be following the precise direction of the wind. We can use that as a bearing to pinpoint the location of the temple"

Quickly, Camri pulled several things off surrounding trees and plants that he would need to test the wind direction later, then followed the other three as they ascended the remainder of the ridge and began to move along the top of the valley towards Dark Fissure. Areen constantly watched the entrance to the cave, stopping the group when a third necromancer emerged from the cave carrying another strange object – it was a soul gem.

An enormous soul gem, at least the size of a human head.

Areen anticipated that the necromancer was going to place the soul gem in the altar, but he did not, instead stopping a few paces short, being careful not to expose the soul gem to the mysterious light shining down from the night sky.

Eventually, the group reached a rocky outcrop overlooking the Dark Fissure, where they remained hidden by shadows cast down from the mountains above them, and stopped. Necromancers were beginning to emerge from the trails leading up the mountains to the Dark Fissure with increasing frequency – soon there was a crowd of at least twenty of them assembled around the altar.

"I'm going for the balloon when Mannimarco gets in it" Camri whispered. "If we get split up, we regroup at the Foaming Flask at noon tomorrow"

--

As 1am came and went, the necromancer carrying the soul gem finally approached the altar, a black cloth covering the gem. Instead of placing the soul gem in the altar like the four expected, he placed it on top of the altar, exposing it to the full force of the intense Shade of the Revenant.

There was a blinding flash of purple light. The Shade of the Revenant stopped. Darkness fell momentarily until torches and magical lights were lit outside the Dark Fissure. The furnace was lit beneath the huge silvery balloon, which slowly started to inflate. And, standing on top of the altar, was a tall, threatening-looking Altmer in signature black necromancers' robes, his black mane-like hair billowing menacingly behind him in the wind. The Necromancer's Amulet was visible around his neck. Mannimarco.

"Kinsmen, you have witnessed a great birth!" Mannimarco said loudly and grandly. "The time of the undead, the time of the immortal is upon us. I have returned to Tamriel to carry out the Bloom"

"Bloom?" Assurrani whispered. Camri motioned for him to be quiet.

"Now that I am here, the plan can finally go ahead. You all know what you must do. Return to your lairs. Prepare every body you have for re-animation. We have one week exactly until the Bloom begins. Leave now. I have private matters to attend to. And I thank you all for your aid and participation."

"Clever" Camri whispered. "They all know the plan but it was not written down. It was not among Relmyna's notes – it was spread by word of mouth"

By now, the hot-air balloon was fully inflated, held down by a series of sturdy ropes with anchors at their ends. Mannimarco climbed into the balloon.

"Macator, do you have the map?" Mannimarco asked of an Altmer necromancer. The necromancer nodded and handed a scroll to him.

_That's what I need._

Camri motioned a forward chopping action with his hand. _Go._

_--  
_

_Imperial Prison cells, earlier that day_

Ariel hadn't moved or spoken since being incarcerated in the Imperial Prison. She had stood completely still next to the cell's barred door. Attempts had been made to get her to speak by the prison warden and another prisoner had failed. Not even the reassuring presence of Halisman in her cell helped. But then she saw a figure approaching down the corridor, an Altmer dressed in an elegant red robe. High Chancellor Ocato. The look on the face of the warden betrayed the fact that a visit to the jail by Ocato was not a regular occurrence. Ocato stopped at Ariel and Halisman's cell, looking the young Breton woman in the eyes with a look of pity and guilt.

"Ariel, you must understand that I had no idea that this would happen to you"

Shortly after it had been reported by the City Guard that Camri, Assurrani, Areen and Staada had left the City, four guards had entered Chancellor Ocato's chambers in White Gold Tower, arresting Ariel and Ocato under Emperor's orders – as the Emperor was the one person who had authority over Chancellor Ocato, he was powerless to stop them.

"For some reason he seems to think you will be safer here" Ocato continued as he spoke to Ariel. "The fact that both his predecessor and a Dunmer prisoner were both assassinated in here within a month of each other does not seem to concern him"

"Can't you get us out, Chancellor?" Ariel asked, speaking at last.

"I'm afraid not. I want to keep my position as Chancellor. Someone needs to keep the Emperor under control so that things like this don't happen again. Can you not break yourselves out?"

Ariel held up her wrists. They were bound with heavy irons which glowed with a red enchantment. "They've completely drained my magicka"

Ocato shook his head meekly.

"You have to find Areen" Ariel suggested, lowering her voice. "He knows how to break people out of here"

When Ariel had first been placed in the jail, she had found herself situated opposite a cell with a small, open doorway mounted into one wall. It was the cell that the Emperor and the Champion of Cyrodiil had used to make good their escape from the jail. More recently, Camri had told Ariel the story about how Areen had broken him out of the Imperial jail, and Ariel had deduced that, poignantly, she was standing in the cell that had been Camri's home for many years, until Areen had broken him out in exchange for Camri's aid in an Argonian quest to a ruin called Morahame – a ruin where Camri, Ariel and Assurrani had all encountered each other for the first time. This cell was where it had all begun.

--

Once Chancellor Ocato had returned from visiting Ariel, he turned his attention back to his current task – along with Ariel he had been sorting through the hordes of documents that had been obtained from the group's raid on Vilverin. Most were obscure, fanatical or senseless texts on necromancy, or maps of Cyrodiil with various locations marked upon them. One, however, was a map of what appeared to be a large temple, titled 'Outer Extremities of The Temple of the Throat of the World'.

Ocato, a keen amateur historian, had cross-referenced this with other mentions he knew of of the Throat of the World with Ariel's help in finding the correct books quickly, and found a book detailing a huge, impenetrable volcanic crater in Skyrim. Its huge vent had remained dormant for aeons and was believed to be unimaginably deep – hence the Throat of the World. Then, when he had read a copy of a letter sent to Blades Grandmaster Jauffre by King Jararka of Black Marsh, it had mentioned reports of necromancers being sighted at a mountain range known as 'Snow Throat'.

On his way back to his quarters, Ocato had paid a visit to the offices of the Imperial Cartography who had confirmed that Snow Throat and The Throat of the World were the same mountain.

Checking the map found in Vilverin again, Ocato noticed that the structure depicted was circular – it was built _over _the huge vent in Snow Throat's caldera. Only the outer parts of the temple were mapped, essentially showing a maze-like ring of rooms and corridors surrounding a large empty space simply marked as 'Hallowed Ground'.

The centre of the temple. The tower containing the stone that gave Mannimarco his power.

--

Camri and Staada raced down the hill, as Areen and Assurrani stayed back, holding their bows. It didn't take long for them to get spotted, and several necromancers turned and hurled a volley of magic at the pair, who dived to the ground to avoid it. Two arrows shot overhead from behind them, one going wide but the other striking one of the necromancers in the chest.

It had bought Mannimarco the time he needed. He was airborne.

"We need to go after that balloon!" Camri shouted as he leapt to his feet and began scrambling along the mountainside, heading north parallel to the path of the balloon. Mannimarco spotted him and hurled a colossal bolt of lightning at him, missing Camri by inches and ripping a large crater in the hillside, a loud crack echoing around the mountains. Behind him, Staada made the leap and managed to grab onto one of the trailing ropes that had previously tethered the balloon to the ground. Staada began to climb the rope as quickly as she could, but knew she wouldn't make it. Mannimarco appeared at the edge of the gondola, looking down coldly at the Golden Saint as he placed his hand on the rope and a lick of flame cut through it. Staada plunged to the ground.

Camri had to make a choice. A choice which could have enormous ramifications. Go after the balloon, or help Staada.

Taking a deep breath, Camri stopped and slid down the steep hillside on his back until he arrived at where Staada had landed. She had landed in a thicket of bushes, and was badly cut, but alive.

"You alright?" Camri asked.

"I'll be fine" Staada said hurriedly. "Bring that damn balloon down!"

Camri grabbed his bow off his back and loaded an arrow into it…

"Necromancers!" Staada cried as she got to her feet.

"Hold them off" Camri said coolly, taking aim. He fired his bow in a great arc up into the air – his aim was immaculate, the arrow striking the balloon near its top… and bounced harmlessly off and fell to the ground. In an instant, Camri realised what the silvery fabric that the balloon was made from was. Mithril.

Behind him, Staada let off a bolt of lightning, simultaneously ducking as a fireball roared over her head, then plunged her sword into a plucky necromancer.

_Think, Camri._

How could he bring the balloon down?

_How was it remaining airborne?_

Camri knew the basic principle of a hot-air balloon's operation – the furnace heated the air inside the balloon, making it light enough to provide enough lift to overcome the balloon's weight.

_So what if the balloon was heavier?_

Why hadn't he thought of it before? The balloon was raising slowly, and by the roar emanating from it it was clear that the furnace was running at full power. It would only need a bit more weight added to it.

Camri rammed an arrow into a small open phial of poison on his belt and fired. All the arrow had to do was make contact with the balloon…

It did. The effect was instantaneous. The balloon's air speed plummeted and it began to lose height. Camri cast his bow to the ground and bolted for the balloon, aiming for a large rock outcrop he could see. He would have to time this perfectly…

In front of him, he could see Mannimarco casting a spell at his balloon. It was a dispelling spell, something he had seen Ariel cast many times before, but it had no effect. A look of visible panic spread across Mannimarco's face.

_I've just outwitted a divine being, _Camri thought to himself. Reaching the rock outcrop just as the balloon sailed past it. Camri executed a terrific leap, grabbing the edge of the wicker gondola. The balloon rocked wildly but Camri never lost his bearings, heaving himself up as Mannimarco raced across the gondola. Camri could see what he needed in Mannimarco's hand. Bravely reaching across, Camri punched Mannimarco in the wrist, causing his grip on the scroll to loosen, then grabbed it.

"I used a poison of burden on your balloon" Camri said nonchalantly as Mannimarco looked at him in surprise. "You need to get your lift back before you hit the mountainside"

With that, Camri let go of the edge of the gondola, gripping the scroll tightly as he skilfully grabbed a tree branch – it snapped off instantly but slowed his fall. Landing in a diving roll which plunged him into a thick bush, Camri steadily got to his feet, and examined the scroll, revealing it to be a map of Tamriel with a particular mountain in Skyrim marked with a cross.

Camri triangulated the position of the cross and committed it to memory, in case he lost the scroll. It was south-west of the town of Whiterun and directly due south of Dawnstar.

Now to get out of here. He could not risk dying, not with the knowledge he now possessed.

But Staada, Assurrani and Areen were still out there, fighting for their lives.

_I stood before an entire battalion of Legionnaires and survived. _

Camri drew his sword and plunged into the fray.

--

Chancellor Ocato met with his old friend, Grandmaster Jauffre, on the steps of Cloud Ruler Temple. The time was just past 1am, and it was a clear, starry night.

"A late visit from yourself, Chancellor" Jauffre said warmly. "What can I do for you?"

"Jauffre, who do you serve, the Emperor or the Empire?" Ocato asked.

Jauffre hesitated. "Why?"

"Under the Emperor's orders, Ariel Lasaille has been imprisoned in the Imperial City, apparently to keep her safe. She had a vision about the future of Tamriel and the Emperor does not want harm coming to her until this vision becomes more complete. It's pointless though – her visions come to her in dreams and the poor girl probably hasn't slept at all since she was incarcerated"

"You want me to get her out?"

"No, I would not put you at risk like that. But if someone _were_ to break her out, I want you to pull some strings and make sure the Emperor is convinced that it wasn't Camri and his friends"

"I can do that, Chancellor. But do you think this is the best thing for Ariel?"

"I trust Camri. I know very few people do, but you must think what he has accomplished in his life…"

"Alright, Chancellor. Leave it with me…"

Suddenly a terrific rumble echoed through the air.

"What in Talos' name was that?" Jauffre asked nervously.

"Thunder?" Ocato suggested.

"Look around you, Chancellor. There's not a cloud around… What was that?"

Jauffre spun Ocato around to give him a view of the distant Valus Mountain range, which ran along the border of Cyrodiil and Morrowind. Repeated blue flashes could be seen on the mountainside, as well as a faint purple beam of light that seemed to be shining down from the heavens.

"Send the Legion up there!" Ocato ordered. "Now!"

--

Falas Assurrani had long lost sight of Camri and Commander Staada. He knew that Areen was somewhere in the undergrowth nearby, fighting his own battle. As soon as Camri had gone after Mannimarco's balloon all hell had broken loose. The twenty or so adept necromancers assembled outside the Dark Fissure had turned their sights on the other three. Assurrani had taken a couple down with his bow, then drawn his sword and made a break for the base of the mountain. It was every man for himself.

Having descended a steep slope, pursued by necromancers, Assurrani had ended up in a valley filled with bushes and small trees, where two bandits trying to defend their camp had also leapt into the fray.

Assurrani was parrying with one of these bandits, who was armed with an axe. It didn't take the skilled Dunmer long to disarm his opponent and run him through with his sword.

"Areen!" Assurrani called.

"_Over here!"_

Assurrani spun round to look for the source of the voice, and spotted Areen, difficult to pick out among the necromancers in his black leather armour and overcoat, and made towards him. A summoned skeleton burst out of the bushes in front of Areen, but the Argonian bashed the skeleton in the skull as hard as he could with his staff, causing the skeleton to vanish in a puff of magic.

"You seen the other two?" Areen asked when Assurrani reached him.

"Camri went after the balloon and Staada went with him. I suppose we meet them tomorrow"

"If we make it. Have you seen what we're up against?"

Areen pointed back up towards the cave entrance – several necromancers were running out of the cave entrance. They had backup inside the cave.

"Areen, I suggest we get out of here," Assurrani said as he drew his bow and took a pot-shot up at the cave entrance.


	11. The Fire Beyond The Mountain

**Chapter 11 – The Fire Beyond The Mountain**

Camri saw Commander Staada bravely fighting against two summoned zombies and raced towards her, leaping over rocks and fallen logs on the ground, plunging his sword into the back of one of the zombies as he reached her. Staada, now able to concentrate on one opponent, hewed the head from the other then thrust her sword into its heart.

"That's the problem with necromancers," Camri said, out of breath. "They always have others to do their bidding for them… Look out!"

Staada spun around just in time to hurl a bolt of lightning into a skeleton that was about to attack her, blowing it to pieces. Camri drew his bow and fired, but his level of fatigue was apparent – the arrow hit a necromancer, piercing through his abdomen, but the arrow's force had been weak and it did not penetrate far. The necromancer carried on towards the pair, wielding a summoned Daedric mace. Camri reloaded and fired again, this time striking the necromancer in the head and killing him.

"You need to rest, Camri" Staada said.

"Follow me" Camri said weakly. "Watch our backs"

Camri turned and began heading northwest, slowly descending the mountain. Staada followed, occasionally turning round to take out another pursuing skeleton or necromancer with lightning. Eventually, the pair reached a small, deserted campsite. Camri collapsed on the floor, as Staada had one last check around for enemies. They seemed to have eluded the necromancers…

"Camri" Staada said suddenly. "The balloon. Did you…"

Camri held a scroll up in his left hand. "Got it!"

Staada smiled and lay down next to Camri. Camri truly admired the Golden Saint's resilience – recent events had seen her banished from her homeland with the realisation that she might be the last surviving Golden Saint, and endure several attacks in a strange world she had never been to before in her life, not to mention surviving the fall from Mannimarco's hot-air balloon, but she had still fought the necromancers with all her strength.

Under the gentle glow of the moonlight, Camri leaned over and pecked Staada on the cheek. Much to his surprise, Staada climbed on top of Camri, closed her eyes and passionately kissed him.

--

"We need to thin their numbers out" Areen said grimly. "We won't make it back to the Imperial City with this many on our backs. Concentrate on the necromancers, I'll handle the summons"

"Alright, but we need to keep covering ground" Assurrani replied. The Dunmer spun around, kneeling down and aiming his bow high up into the mountains, firing and nailing a necromancer who was drawing attention to themselves by casting a summoning spell. As he did, Areen strode past him and took down a summoned skeleton with his staff.

The hillside above them was still crawling with necromancers…

A loud rustling sound nearby startled Assurrani, causing him to fluff his next shot. Drawing his sword, Assurrani turned around just as a zombie hit him hard in the side of the head. Assurrani stumbled but quickly regained his footing, spinning around and slicing off the zombie's arm with his blade as it tried to attack him again, then quickly plunging his sword into its heart.

Assurrani quickly saw the summoner and raced towards them, executing an acrobatic forward roll to avoid a fireball, then hewing the necromancer's head from their body.

"Areen, let's just get out of here!" Assurrani shouted.

"_Right behind you,"_ came Areen's reply.

Areen was fighting off a necromancer and his summoned skeleton. Assurrani reached for a bow to aid him but it was not on his back – he had cast it to the ground in the undergrowth, and in the darkness would have no hope of finding it again.

Assurrani swore to himself and bolted towards the Argonian, still trying to fight off the skeleton and disrupt the necromancer's spellcasting. Assurrani threw himself onto the necromancer, tackling them to the ground – the necromancer's head landed on a rock, cracking his skull open. Assurrani left him to die as the skeleton vanished.

"They're catching us up," Areen said quietly. "Maybe we should just make a break for it. As soon as we're at the Rumare we're safe. They won't risk going near the City"

"Come on, then" Assurrani replied. "Godspeed to you, friend"

The pair raced through the undergrowth, constantly watching for, and leaping over obstacles, occasionally turning around to fight off plucky necromancers. Eventually, they reached the edge of the dense undergrowth – only open, undulating grassland lay between them and the next source of cover, an Ayleid ruin.

Areen handed his bow to Assurrani. "Make a run for it. I'll cover you, then you cover me once you're there"

Assurrani nodded, taking the bow and watching with confusion as Areen slung his staff over his back and crouched down. He was going to face them unarmed? Assurrani gripped the bow and sprinted through the dead ground towards the Ayleid ruin.

Two necromancers approached, hurling fireballs at Assurrani, which he managed to avoid. At that moment, Assurrani saw Areen stand up, and two silvery flashes flitting through the air, before the two necromancers were sent stumbling backwards with star-shaped explosions of blood bursting from their foreheads.

As Assurrani neared the Ayleid ruin, Areen drew two more throwing stars and cast them both at an approaching zombie, piercing it in the torso and head and killing it.

"_Areen! Go! Stay down!" _Assurrani called. He had made it to the Ayleid ruin and was knelt on a raised walkway with Areen's bow.

Areen crouch-ran across the dead ground, twice hearing arrows shooting over his head, followed by the distinctive sound of an arrow hitting flesh.

_How many more can there be?_ Areen thought to himself as he reached Assurrani.

"We're safe" Assurrani said. "Look"

Areen followed Assurrani's gaze to the west. He had never been so glad to see the Imperial Legion in his life – a company of around ten men, some mounted on horseback, others on foot.

"Cover us!" Areen called to the Legion soldiers. "We're on your side!"

"_We've got you," _a soldier called back. _"Keep your heads down!"_

The pair leapt from the walkway and landed in a run just as a group of necromancers reached the Ayleid ruin and renewed their attack. A volley of arrows from the Legion shot over the pair, taking down several of the necromancers. But then, mere yards from safety, a colossal bolt of lightning hit Areen in the back. The Argonian stumbled forwards, where he lay face-down in the grass.

"Covering fire!" Assurrani shouted as he ran to Areen. Several of the Legion archers stepped in front of them.

Assurrani rolled Areen onto his back, hoping there was still chance to save him.

"Azura bless you, brother," Assurrani whispered. But it was too late. Areen lay motionless, the life faded from his eyes. Memories came flooding back to Assurrani, in particular the time when Areen had broken Assurrani out of an Imperial interrogation facility – it was a selfless act, as the two were not even fighting the same fight at the time. Assurrani had later learnt that this was Areen's job with the Court of Argonia – freeing falsely imprisoned Argonians, mainly slaves in Morrowind.

Assurrani reverently laid Areen's bow on his chest and crossed his arms over it.

"I'm sorry" a voice said as Assurrani felt a hand placed on one of his shoulders.

"Thank you" Assurrani said, turning to face the Legion soldier. At that moment, he noticed something – silence. The battle was over. Assurrani turned around and, as dawn broke, began to walk back towards the Imperial City.

--

Camri Everlight had awoken just after dawn in the campsite, as the first rays of a crisp, clear morning had shone onto his face. Staada had still been asleep next to him, her head resting on his chest. Camri had briefly admired her form, unsullied by her golden armour or the blue robe she had been given, before getting up and crawling out of the tent, gazing across the beautiful spectacle of the Imperial City at dawn. With sunlight only illuminating the top of the tower, the sun still being partially blocked by the Valus Mountains, the highest point of White Gold Tower seemed to radiate with a divine power, exactly as its original purpose had been – to reach the Divines from the mortal plane. Camri could just catch a glimpse of red atop the tower – the remaining, non-enchanted part of the Chim-el Adabal.

Soon, Staada had emerged, wearing her blue robe, and taken Camri's hand in hers as the pair watched the sunlight slowly crawling down White Gold Tower.

By midday, the pair had reached the Elven Gardens district of the Imperial City where they had organised to regroup with Assurrani and Areen in the Foaming Flask. When they entered the inn, they saw Assurrani sitting in the corner, alone, and joined him, immediately sensing something was wrong. Camri didn't even want to ask the question that came out of his lips.

"Where's Areen?"

Assurrani shook his head gravely. "I'm so sorry, Camri… he didn't make it"

Camri closed his eyes and buried his head in his hands, as Staada gently gripped his hand.

"Did he go down fighting?" Camri asked eventually.

"Yes. There's no way I would have escaped if it weren't for him. He decimated their number. We were so close to safety…"

"You know, Areen is how I got involved in this, after he broke me out of the Imperial Prison. That was before I even knew about the prophecy – I just thought I was fighting a good cause for the Argonians. He wasn't even ordered to participate in this mission – he stayed with us through loyalty alone"

The three sat in silence for a few more minutes.

"Do you bring good news with you, Camri?" Assurrani asked eventually.

Camri smiled weakly and produced the scroll he had taken from Mannimarco.

"I checked in with the Cartography on the way back here. The temple is in the centre of a huge volcano. You can't get in over the top of the crater – it's just impossible. There's a river that flows from a lake in the crater, but by the time you can access it from outside the mountain it's a raging torrent thundering down a steep-walled ravine. But it forks as soon as it's out of the ravine, and the exact location marked on Mannimarco's map is the point where the river splits. There's something there that leads into the crater. We've got other things to worry about first, though – like eliminating the manufacture of black soul gems"

"You still think we can do that?"

"It's simple, all we need to do is stop black soul gems being easily available take out the altars. There are only four of them and I know where they all are. Hopefully things have calmed down at the Dark Fissure now"

The three got up to leave.

"Are you alright, Camri?" Assurrani asked earnestly as they stood.

"This is a great loss to us. Areen was a good friend. But I know the last thing he would want is to stall on his part. Now Mannimarco is back in Tamriel, the factor of time has come into play"

"Right. So let's destroy these altars then. Any ideas how we're going to do it?"

"Yes. We need to find my stash. I've got a few barrels of mining explosives hidden away, and some other things that we might need in the next few days"

--

In the Imperial Prison, the warden let two men into Ariel and Halisman's cell. Every other cell had been emptied, the prisoners transferred to empty cells in either Cheydinal or Bravil. Ariel knew one of the men – he was an infamous Imperial Legion Captain who anyone who had spent any time in the Imperial city would have encountered. Farix Kanvius was an ex-Dark Brotherhood assassin and was exactly the kind of man who was unsuited to a position of power in the Imperial Legion – an assassin who enjoyed his job.

"Ariel" Kanvius said curtly. "What's going to happen?"

"I don't know" Ariel replied impatiently. "Perhaps if I had a comfortable bed to sleep in a few more dreams might have come to me…"

"I don't get paid to listen to your complaints! My job is to find out everything you know about the coming crisis"

"I can't just will visions out of thin air. I've told you everything I've seen"

Kanvius shoved Ariel roughly into the stone wall. Ariel winced as her head banged against a rock. At that moment, Halisman, his wrists not bound like Ariel's, approached Kanvius and delivered a powerful punch to his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to double up in pain.

The other man in the cell, a faceless Legion grunt, drew a dagger. Halisman roared in pain as the soldier plunged the dagger into Halisman's shoulder.

"Bad idea" Halisman said through gritted teeth as he agonisingly pulled the dagger out of his shoulder with his left hand then thrust it gruesomely into the soldier's eye, killing him instantly.

Kanvius angrily grabbed the dagger and threw it far out of Halisman's reach.

"The only thing keeping me from killing you is the Emperor's orders for you to guard Ariel, Marlus Halisman" Kanvius said coldly. "I don't care what your rank in High Rock was, this has got nothing to do with you. And if Ariel doesn't help us soon, well, you will have failed in your task. Ariel, you have one day to come up with something good"

Kanvius left the cell, the warden locking the door behind him after removing the dead soldier's body from the cell, leaving the pair in shocked silence. Halisman cast a weak healing spell on himself to try to curb the pain from the stab wound in his shoulder, then helped Ariel to her feet.

"Thank you, Marlus" Ariel said shakily. "You didn't have to stick up for me like that"

"Yes I did. Your father tasked me to protect you, and that's what I'm going to do. You should try and get some rest"

"I know. Kanvius is right – the Empire needs to know more about what's going to happen. But ever since we've been in prison my dreams have lost all focus. Everything was starting to relate to itself, but now I'm just back to random images"

Halisman handed Ariel a notebook and quill that had been left in the cell.

"Write it down anyway. You never know – one more dream might make it all make sense, then we can get out of here"

"We only have hope to get us out of here," Ariel said meekly. "Hope that Chancellor Ocato can somehow undo this whole mess"


	12. Meridia's Guidance

**Chapter 12 – Meridia's Guidance**

_Elenglynn Ruin, exterior_

"_This_ is where your stash is hidden?" Staada asked, looking up at the grand Ayleid doorway in front of them. "Isn't it a bit… public?"

"Maybe, but it's full of traps," Camri replied. "And only I know how to get past them safely. Then you'd need both my keys to actually get to my stash"

Assurrani had been to Elenglynn before, but never actually inside it. Over the course of their adventures, Camri had entered it alone, either hiding or emerging with some great treasure that he required. He had hinted towards several Daedric artifacts being hidden in the ruin.

"Follow me" Camri said, pushing open the stone doorway, bearing a torch in front of him to light the way. But then, he stopped a few feet in.

"Oh dear, looks like I've had a visitor recently"

Wondering what he was talking about, Staada stepped forwards and saw a gruesomely beheaded Orc, the dead body only a few days old, lying at the base of the staircase that led in front of them.

Camri turned around and pressed a small button above the doorway, then led the other two further down the staircase. A diagonal gap in the wall at head level ran along the length of the stairs, evidently concealing some sort of head-chopping blade, but the button Camri had pressed had deactivated it. The three rounded the corner, and once again Camri signalled them to halt.

"Trigger stone" Camri said, pointing to a large floor tile in front of them. "Don't step on it. One at a time – wait for my signal"

Camri deftly leapt over the trigger stone and jogged down the corridor, past a series of vertical slits which concealed swinging blades, until he reached the end of the corridor, stepping on a huge trigger stone which was simply unavoidable. The stone set the blades swinging, but rather than swinging in synchronisation, they swung in irregular patterns, rendering them more or less impassible. Camri removed a false brick from the wall at the end of the corridor and pressed a button concealed behind it, halting the blades.

"Alright, you can follow me now" Camri called to the other two, who nervously joined him.

"Did you do all this, Camri?" Staada asked.

"No, I just worked out how to get past it all. This is a really clever trap, designed to get rid of parties of tomb raiders. The first reaches the end of the corridor, steps on the trigger stone, and all his friends get carved up by the blades. But no Ayleid trap cannot be bypassed. And the reason I chose Elenglynn is because it's the only Ayleid ruin I've ever seen where the workings of the traps are accessible"

Camri banged on a section of wall, indicating it to be a hollow false wall covering a passageway that led to the mechanical workings of the swinging blade traps, then led the three further into the tomb. The next chamber they emerged in was a large, flooded room with a walkway leading across it, and several ominously glowing black Varla stones.

"Ready for a run?" Camri asked light-heartedly. "Just follow what I do"

Camri stepped out onto the covered walkway, standing on a trigger stone. A spiked iron grate dropped down at the far end of the walkway and began clattering towards him on railings mounted in the walkway's roof. Camri bolted for a small section of floor that jutted out over the water, out of the path of the grate, and dived to safety moments before the grate shot past him. As he landed on the platform, he ducked as two Varla stones shot fireballs at him, which burst spectacularly on the white stone above him. Camri got to his feet and waited for the grate to fly past him again, back towards Assurrani and Staada, before running the last twenty yards to safety, landing in a forward roll to avoid another fireball.

"Alright, you next, Staada!" Camri called.

The Golden Saint waited for the grate to reach her end of the walkway and begin its journey back, before sprinting to the sanctuary halfway along the walkway, dancing out of the path of the two fireballs launched by the Varla stones. Staada waited for the grate to pass her then ran for the far end of the corridor. But, mere yards from safety, she tripped on a loose floor tile and stumbled to the ground. Staada quickly managed to get to her feet, but she didn't see the brightly-glowing Varla stone to her right…

"Staada! Get down!" Camri shouted. But it was too late. A fireball spat out of the Varla stone and roared towards the doomed Golden Saint…

The fireball burst spectacularly in mid-air, only two yards or so from the walkway, as Staada stumbled the last few yards to safety and turned around to see her saviour – Assurrani, knelt down at the far side of the chamber with his bow. He had fired an arrow which had hit the fireball, detonating it in mid-air.

"Nice shot" Camri said, genuinely impressed.

Assurrani, the most athletic of the three, overcame the trap with ease, not even pausing in the sanctuary, simply using it to evade the grate before he carried on running.

An iron gate stood in front of the three, which Camri opened using a small push block, then pointed out a well-hidden trigger stone on the floor which would have set off two lightning-type Varla stones hidden in alcoves.

Finally, the three reached a locked iron gate which Camri opened with an ancient-looking key, then he placed another key in a small hole in the wall and turned it, prematurely setting off a huge razor-sharp blade that dropped down from the ceiling just beyond the doorway.

"Help yourselves to weapons" Camri said as he walked briskly into the room, quickly locating a wooden barrel with a sturdy metal lid screwed onto it.

"Where did you find all this, Camri?" Staada asked, gazing around at the contents of the room – it was a treasure trove, packed with chests containing gold and gemstones, and piles of unusual armour and weapons. Assurrani picked up a Daedric bow and Camri nodded, indicating he could keep the weapon.

"What's this glass ball?" Staada asked, picking up a crystal ball-like object the size of a melon.

"I don't know" Camri replied. "But it's not glass. It's too heavy – I think it might be diamond"

At that moment, Camri walked over to a small button in the wall and pressed it. Then, he grabbed a few bottles of potion, a sack of gold and a quiver of enchanted arrows.

"We've got five minutes to get out before the traps bother us again"

--

Latta sprinkled the bonemeal on Meridia's shrine and waited for a response. She had told the worshippers assembled at the shrine that she was Meridia's daughter, but they hadn't believed her – they were about to get proof. In a burst of magic, Latta vanished into thin air.

She appeared in what seemed to be a room of Ayleid construction – it was perfectly cubical in shape and brilliantly lit by many blue crystals. Sat on one of two chairs in the centre of the room was a beautiful elegant-looking woman in a white robe, with silky golden hair.

Latta smiled and walked over to embrace the woman. "Hello, mother"

"What brings you here, Latta?" Meridia asked. "Time is not on your side"

"Sheogorath has gone mad" Latta said bleakly before telling Meridia of how Sheogorath had outcast the Golden Saints from the Shivering Isles and deferred to the House of Dementia.

"I tried going back to the Shivering Isles to sort this mess out but the Fringe was packed to bursting with Dark Seducer soldiers. Suffice to say I didn't feel very welcome there"

"And House Mania and the Golden Saints cannot mount a defence because Commander Staada has been exiled" Meridia said. "I am beginning to see the problem here"

"I thought you might… have influence on Sheogorath. Is there anything you can do?"

"Sheogorath is going to wish he had never crossed my daughter or the Golden Saints" Meridia said menacingly. "I'd like to see how his Dark Seducers stand up to a battalion of Aurorans. I can employ force to partially resolve this situation, Latta, but much of the responsibility lies in you"

"What do you mean?"

"You must understand by now that the underlying issue in this event is in the balance of power – the balance between good and evil, the balance between mania and dementia, light and dark. If you succeed in defeating Mannimarco, good will have triumphed over evil, and you can restore the balance in the Shivering Isles"

"I have known this for some time. I've read that document found in the Mystic Archives. If Sheogorath stands for Dementia, but an entity of similar power stands for Mania, harmony will come to the Shivering Isles. I know that this is what I must do with my powers – if I get them…"

"There is one thing you must know, Latta. If you want to undergo an apotheosis, _you _must kill Mannimarco, not any of the others"

"There's a problem there…" Latta began.

"I know" Meridia continued. "You plan to spirit the stone hidden in Snow-Throat to the Shivering Isles to make Mannimarco mortal again, but you are required in Tamriel to kill Mannimarco. That is where our friend Commander Staada comes in. Tell Staada that she must be the one to take the stone, and assure her that I will make sure the Shivering Isles are safe for her to return by that time. And I have a warning for you about the stone"

"What?"

"It _cannot_ be destroyed under any circumstances. It may power evil, but it is an intrinsic part of the fabric of Mundus. There are many stones like it, all of which ensure the safety of the mortal world and keep the waters of Oblivion at bay. One by one these are being destroyed – the Heart of Lorkhan and the Amulet of Kings are both gone"

"This is one of those stones?" Latta asked. "This subject fascinates me – the Stones of Ada-Mantia – the mythical artifacts that allow the mortal world to exist"

"Yes. It is the Mantella, the Third Stone, Numidium's Heart. It is a conduit of great evil, but one that is sadly necessary to the safety of the mortal plane. If one more of the Ada-Mantian Stones is destroyed, the barriers between Mundus and Oblivion will effectively not be there. You thought the Oblivion crisis was bad…"

"I will make sure the Mantella is not destroyed, Mother" Latta said. "Do you know where it is hidden?"

"I do, and fortunately so do your friends. There is one thing they do not know, though – to get into the necromancers' temple, they need the soul of an Ayleid sorcerer – a black Varla stone"

The gemstone Meridia handed to Latta was incredible. It was similar in appearance to a Varla stone but completely black – it didn't even reflect light, it just absorbed every ray of light that landed on it. It was also extremely heavy for its size.

"You have a difficult fight ahead of you. The necromancers' temple will be well-guarded, and the Mantella lies suspended above the vent of Snow-Throat volcano. It plunges several thousand feet down to the lava chamber, and I am not sure if there is an easy way to access it"

"We can use Ariel's powers of telekinesis," Latta suggested. "It's not a problem. What do we do after the Mantella is gone?"

"As soon as it has left the mortal realm, Mannimarco will no longer be invulnerable. He hides in Echo Cave near Bruma. Do what you must, Latta. Your friends are now at Fort Linchal, west-north-west of my shrine. Good luck, my girl"

At that moment, the room seemed to collapse around her and, in an instant, she was back at the shrine of Meridia, surrounded by very bemused worshippers of the Princess.

_Fort Linchal._

Latta ran off to the west in search of the others.

--

Ariel Lasaille, once again, had not slept all night. Whilst Halisman slept next to her, she sat upright in the cell, scribbling in the notebook that had been left in the cell. In a few minutes' sleep she had snatched earlier in the day, a very strange vision had come to her. She had seen the gathering of necromancers at the Dark Fissure, with Camri, Assurrani and Staada all there. But she had not seen Areen. Crucially, however, she had heard Mannimarco's speech.

Ariel gazed at the notes written in front of her.

_Mannimarco's plan – 'The Bloom'_

_Bloom – Great expansion? Flowering? _

_Lush growth_

_Sudden explosion of life_

_Reason for soul harvesting in Black Marsh?_

As dawn broke, the warden came to do his morning patrol of the almost-empty cellblock. As he approached, Ariel ripped the page out of her notebook and gave it to the warden.

"Give it to Chancellor Ocato" she said flatly. "It's important"

--

_Fort Linchal, exterior_

Camri poured the last of the mining explosives into the altar outside Fort Linchal. It was a mixture of black powder, volatile oils and fire salts. Trailing a long rope fuse, also soaked in oil, out of the altar, Camri instructed the three to get back. A long way back.

"Camri, I've been meaning to ask," Assurrani said. "Can't they just rebuild these altars?"

"No-one's sure how they work" Camri replied. "They're Ayleid in origin and like all Ayleid technology, people know what they do but can't recreate them. And this is the last one. Besides, we're not going to give these bastards time to rebuild them after this"

"I know" Assurrani said. "The time has come to attack, hasn't it?"

"Yes, but we need our team back first – Ariel, Halisman and Latta"

Camri lit the rope with his torch and a lick of flame shot down it, completing the journey in seconds, before a billowing explosion ripped the altar apart. The three dived to the ground as rubble and scraps of burning fabric blasted over their heads.

The black soul gem trade had been destroyed. The four altars at the four points where the Revenant occurred had all been blown up with Camri's mining explosives, and on the way out of Elenglynn, Camri had paid a visit to a Thieves' Guild operative he knew in Skingrad, giving him orders to pass on to Armand Christophe to raid every merchant of soul gems that night, along with no less than 5,000 Septims as a gesture of goodwill.

"I thought it might be you three," a voice suddenly said from behind the group. They all turned around, cautiously, to see Latta stood before them.

"Latta!" Staada said in joyous surprise.

"A lot has happened whilst you've been away," Camri said. He told Latta of Ariel's removal from the mission and the death of Areen, but on a more positive note, the damage caused to the necromancers by the attack at Dark Fissure and the eradication of the black soul gem trade, not to mention the acquisition of Mannimarco's map.

Latta told the other three everything that Meridia had told her, of the future of their quest and what must be done to defeat Mannimarco, that she had to be the one to kill him and, of course, that the stone must not be destroyed.

"We'd better not waste any time in getting ourselves to Snow Throat, then" Assurrani observed.

"There's one more thing we need to do first," Camri said. "We're getting Ariel back"

"Are you sure, Camri? Maybe the Emperor was right about keeping her out of harm's way"

"Falas, don't you remember the Battle of the Border? When the three of us are together we transcend our normal abilities. We become stronger and more focused. The first time the three of us were ever in the same place at the same time, Ariel cast a powerful enough telekinesis spell to launch you ten feet into the air"

"You're right. I'm sorry"

Camri patted Assurrani on the shoulder. "No worries, my friend"


	13. Boom Town

**Chapter 13 – Boom Town**

The four met up with Chancellor Ocato in the courtyard of the Arcane University, where they still believed Ariel and Halisman were being kept. The grave look on Ocato's face made Camri feel distinctly uneasy as he approached him.

"I have bad news and good news, Camri" Ocato said.

"Hit me with the bad news first, Chancellor"

"For some reason, the Emperor believed that the safest place for Ariel and Marlus would be the Imperial Prison. And it's very heavily guarded"

Camri's heart skipped a beat. "And the good news?"

"If you get them out, Jauffre will pull some strings and make it officially someone else's fault – you technically have legal immunity in this case. And if you want more good news, I've got some extra help for you"

Ocato beckoned over a Battlemage who was standing at the base of the Arcane University's great tower – a Breton of about sixty years of age with long, flowing grey hair and a huge bushy beard, a thick blue hood pulled over his head.

"Captain Larand Pasqual of the Imperial Battlemages" the Breton said, offering his hand to Camri.

"The Battlemages are the only division of the Imperial Legion who are under my command, not the Emperor's," Ocato explained. "Pasqual and his men will be accompanying you to Skyrim"

"Nice to meet you, Captain," Camri said to Pasqual. "I'm sure you will be invaluable to us"

Camri introduced Pasqual to Assurrani, Latta and Staada.

"One more question, Ocato" Camri asked. "Who incarcerated Ariel and Halisman?"

"Kanvius" Ocato said under his breath. "Be prepared for the worst"

Camri swore to himself.

"Captain, do you know where the sewer entrance that leads into the prison is?" Camri asked Pasqual. The Breton nodded.

"Take Latta and Assurrani there. You two, go into the prison the back way. It's an obvious path. Wait until you can hear me and Staada in there before you attack"

"You're planning an assault on the Imperial Prison?" Assurrani asked.

"What else did you expect from me?" Camri replied. "One last thing – do not kill any guards unless they attack you. I don't like killing men who are just trying to do their job"

Camri and Staada ran across the short bridge that linked the Market District to the fortified Imperial Prison structure. Two guards stood at the great gate leading into the prison – one made to stop the pair, but the other, recognising Camri and knowing that he was on an official quest for the Emperor, stopped his comrade. The pair kept on running, bursting through the door into the Imperial Prison.

--

Before any more guards could stop them, the pair sprinted across the courtyard and into the prison itself.

The warden, seated at his desk, looked up from his logbook and saw Camri aiming his bow straight at his forehead.

"Where's Ariel's cell?" Camri demanded. The warden, too frightened to speak, indicated down a gently-sloping corridor which ended at a rigid wood and iron door.

"Is that door unlocked?"

The warden nodded. Not missing a beat, the pair raced for the door. Once on the other side, Camri barricaded it shut with a discarded cell door, held in place with several loose stone bricks.

"Ariel!" Camri called.

"_Down here!"_ came a weak reply, followed by the sound of a hand hitting flesh.

"Cover me" Camri said to Staada, who readied herself to cast a spell. Camri bolted down into the cellblock – it didn't take him long to locate Ariel's cell.

Kanvius and two other guards were inside it. Ariel was cowered in one corner, trying to fend off a Legion man who had been beating her wearing a pair of steel gauntlets. The other was restraining Halisman.

"Let them go!" Camri shouted at Kanvius.

"I will not go against the Emperor's orders" Kanvius said coolly, standing in front of the cell's door. "I would advise you to do the same"

Camri fired his bow, the arrow passing past Kanvius' head, missing by millimetres.

"A rare miss on your part, Camri" Kanvius said wickedly. But then, he turned around and realised that Camri hadn't been aiming for him. The Legionnaire who had been restraining Halisman was thrown back, dead, into the stone wall, Camri's arrow jutting from his eye. Halisman broke free and punched the man attacking Ariel in the temple, knocking him unconscious, then helping Ariel to her feet. At the same time, Camri knocked down the cell door with a powerful kick to its locking mechanism, sending the door, and Kanvius, tumbling into the cell.

"_Camri!" _Staada shouted as Camri heard the sickening sound of his barricade giving way.

"I've got you covered!" Camri called back as he ran back out into the corridor, loading another arrow into his bow and firing, nailing an approaching guard in the forehead as Staada crouch-ran down into the cellblock. Reaching Camri, she turned around and cast a bolt of lightning, taking down another guard.

Then, Staada was thrown to the ground by a tremendous impact from the side – a very pissed-off Kanvius. But then, Kanvius was thrown off her, as he was hit in the throat by an arrow.

Assurrani.

The Dunmer emerged from the cell containing the escape tunnel, motioning Camri and Staada to duck as he fired again, hitting a guard who was about to fire an arrow of his own.

"Go! The exit's clear!" Assurrani ordered as Latta ran out of the tunnel wielding her glass Claymore. Staada ran for the tunnel whilst Camri hustled Ariel and Halisman out of the cell. He took one last look at Kanvius, who was alive, but only just.

"Leave Kanvius to die" Camri said to Assurrani. "He does not deserve his end to come quickly"

Assurrani nodded and reached for another arrow from his quiver, but his hand clasped around thin air. _Shit._

"I'm dry!" Assurrani shouted.

"Don't worry" Latta said, measured, as she stepped past Assurrani. A guard charged at her but she swung her sword horizontally as hard as she could, the glass blade cutting straight through the sword and shield that the guard had held up to defend himself.

"I would suggest not following us," Latta said to the guard as she turned around and made for the exit.

--

"Déjà vu" Camri said to himself as he emerged from the sewers, overlooking the ruins of Vilverin. After he had helped everyone out of the tunnel, he turned to Ariel.

"Are you alright?"

Ariel nodded shakily. She was in shock, and Halisman didn't seem to be in a much better shape.

"I'm sorry. If I had known sooner I would have come for you straight away" Camri said as he took a potion from his bag and let the pair drink it.

"I don't understand why we were treated like that," Halisman said. "If we're working for the Emperor, why did he let Kanvius treat us like that?"

"The Emperor probably knew nothing about it" Camri said. As he spoke, Latta and Assurrani emerged from the tunnel, unscathed. "Welcome to the world of Emperor Namiah Carius. He's not in control – his court is. He's just a figurehead – he's got no idea how to run the Empire. He got elected because he said the right things – things that his advisors told him to say which would get him favour with the people. The Emperor probably didn't even know that you two were in the jail, to be honest. The Chief Guard Captain handles things like that"

"Pontis? No, I know him. He's a good man"

"He is, but he's in Kvatch overseeing the retraining of the City Guard and rebuilding of the fortifications at the moment. His deputy is in charge at the moment… or was, until Assurrani fired an arrow into his throat"

"Kanvius was the deputy Chief?" Assurrani asked about the man he had killed without hesitation.

"Don't worry, no-one will miss him," Camri replied. "I'm hoping his job will be given to someone good like Itius Hayn. When all this is finished, I'm going to do something about the Emperor situation"

"Don't kill the Emperor, Cam" Assurrani said flatly.

"I'm not going to kill him. I'm either going to expose him as a useless fool or replace his little gang with people who know what they're doing. I know plenty of factors of the Septim dynasty"

Camri had loathed Emperor Carius ever since he had come into power. When a corrupt Imperial Legion General had begun a campaign to secure resource-rich lands in Black Marsh and Elsweyr, Camri was not surprised – before he learnt of the corruption, he merely thought of it as something that the Emperor would sanction. Whilst the Septim dynasty represented people and old money – riches tied up in land and ancestry – the Carius dynasty had to start over after most of the Septim dynasty's wealth was divided among its factors after Martin Septim's death. Part of the reason that Camri thought an overthrow of Carius was possible was that he knew many of the factors – owners of land and minor kingships from the Septim dynasty who now owned vast amounts of money but had nothing to do with it apart from have an early retirement.

"Anyway, back to more pressing matters" Camri continued. "It's time to launch the attack on the Throat of the World or whatever it's called. I'm going to go to the Cartography to see if they've got any maps of the area we can use. Falas, you should come with me to help me carry all the scrolls out. Latta, can you go to the Arcane University and tell Captain Pasqual to assemble his men at Weye at noon tomorrow?"

Latta nodded.

"Camri…" Ariel said quietly, holding her wrists up. They were still bound by the magicka-sapping wristbands. Camri produced the Skeleton Key and quickly picked the lock, causing the bands to spring open and fall to the ground. Camri cast them into the sea.

"Thanks" Ariel said, smiling. "Not just for this, but for getting us out…"

"Anytime" Camri replied, placing his hand on Ariel's shoulder.

"What do you want us to do, Camri?" Ariel asked. Camri handed Ariel the smaller of the two sacks of gold he had taken from his stash.

"Market District. Buy anything you think we might possibly need"

--

The six all went their separate ways – Camri and Assurrani towards White Gold Tower, Latta towards the Arcane University Island and Ariel, Halisman and Staada into the Market District.

As Camri and Assurrani walked through Green Emperor Way, Assurrani spoke.

"So, you and Staada…"

"How did you know about that?" Camri replied, slightly taken aback.

"Latta pointed it out to me," Assurrani said. "She told me that Staada has that look of a satisfied woman!"

Camri laughed. "She was amazing. I don't want to get too involved with her, though"

"Why not? It wouldn't do you any harm to settle down one day, you know"

"Well, when we were back in the Shivering Isles, Staada told me that the portal is only going to remain open until Sheogorath's affairs in the mortal world are finished. So, as soon as Staada takes the stone back to the Shivering Isles and Latta runs Mannimarco through with her sword, that'll be it – the portal will close and I'll never see her again"

"Same with Latta. I'll miss her when this is finished. For the daughter of a wayward mystical sorceress and a barking mad Nord she's quite a character – the sort of person you'd want around all the time"

"If she becomes a Daedra she'll never be far away," Camri said, before he turned to Assurrani and flashed a wicked grin at him. "Just don't go running off to some plane of Oblivion to try and sleep with her!"

Assurrani's face went slightly red. "I'm not going anywhere without you, Camri"

Camri was momentarily taken aback by Assurrani's words, and their sincerity – despite meeting under circumstances where they had been trying to kill each other, Assurrani and Camri had become inseparable friends.

"Good," Camri said. "Because I've been having doubts about whether this is what we were brought together for…"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't see why _we _were needed in this quest. Everything we've done, Latta could have done on her own. And the Emperor knew that she was going to be involved. I think he might have told us another lie"

"It does seem a little convenient, actually" Assurrani said. "Perhaps the Emperor just wants to keep us occupied for the time being until he knew what we were up against"

"Or maybe he wanted to keep us in training. Your marksmanship has improved tenfold since the days of the Marsh Spirit"

"Thank you, Camri," Assurrani said genuinely. "So, if this isn't what we were brought together for, what's going to happen next?"

"Whatever Ariel saw is going to come true" Camri said quietly. "And from what she's told me it's going to be a lot more serious than the Oblivion crisis or some wizard doing a Dagoth Ur and binding himself to a magical stone. She saw the end of the world. It's going to be the big one. And the fact that Ariel saw it gives me the horrible feeling that we're going to play a part in stopping it"

--

_Whiterun, Skyrim, two days later_

After a long and arduous journey, two large horse-drawn caravans pulled into the small mountain town of Whiterun. One contained Camri, Ariel, Assurrani, Halisman, Staada and Latta, and the other Captain Pasqual and six other Imperial Battlemages.

Camri gazed out of the window of the caravan, which offered a stunning view over central Skyrim, a part of the world that Camri had never seen before. Spectacular snow-capped mountains and dense pine forests surrounded the small plateau that Whiterun was built upon, a homely-looking town made up of ornately decorated wooden buildings similar to those found in Bruma. And looming over everything else, to the south-west, was the imposing presence of Snow-Throat Mountain, which was simply the biggest natural formation Camri had ever seen in his life – significantly taller than any of the other mountains in the area, and possessed of sheer rocky flanks, too steep even for snow to permanently settle upon.

It was early in the morning, and an uncharacteristically clear day – through a gap in the mountains to the south, the summit of White Gold Tower could just about be seen on the horizon. The perfect time to attack.

"We should continue on foot from here," Camri said to the assembled party as he paid the two caravaners. "It's a few miles due west to the river – once we get there, the assault begins"


	14. Temple Approach

**Chapter 14 – The Temple Approach**

Latta stood at the head of the two roaring mountain rivers, at the point where they forked from the river flowing out of Snow-Throat. She was carrying the crystal that Meridia had given her, but could not see how it was going to grant them access to the volcano's caldera, the location of the temple. The river was thundering out of the caldera down a sheer, vertical-walled ravine, and a lethal torrent of white water. To fall into it would mean instant death.

Ariel walked over to where Latta was stood. Latta was examining the floor, looking for a keyhole of some sort.

"I think it might be a polariser," Ariel suggested. When following one of the north-flowing rivers, the group had encountered a sharp right-hand bend, meaning that the river was flowing directly due east out of the crater, directly into the path of the still-rising sun.

Latta nodded and held the Varla stone high above her head and something incredible happened – as the sun struck the black crystal, it began to hum loudly and develop a bright blue glow, before a bolt of lightning lanced out of it, down the ravine. The lightning must have hit some distant unseen trigger, because a deep rumbling began to echo around the ravine as a huge stone bridge began to raise up out of the river, coming to a halt at the point where the two rivers split – the bridge extended all the way down the ravine, running parallel to its walls, offering a path leading all the way to the innermost reaches of the volcano.

Camri's heart sank when he examined the bridge and saw it was laced with trigger stones and tripwires. The walls of the ravine were also coated in deep slits, which obviously concealed blades, and many small holes.

"Let me go first," Camri suggested. "If there's anyone who knows booby traps, it's me. Ariel, follow me. Tell me if anything doesn't look right"

"We've got you covered" Pasqual said. His Battlemages prepared a variety of ranged attacks, some drawing bows and others preparing themselves to cast spells.

Camri and Ariel carefully began to pick their way across the bridge, stepping over trigger stones and tripwires. One trigger stone took up the whole width of the bridge and could not be bypassed, so Camri stood on it then took a leap backwards, just in time to avoid a large rock that was catapulted out of a gap in the ravine wall by some unseen force – had he still been stood on the trigger stone, it would have thrown him clean off the bridge and into the raging river.

Another similar trigger stone caused the whole section of the bridge to rotate on its lateral axis by 90 degrees, throwing any potential victims into the water.

"They've got this place pretty well-guarded" Camri said to himself.

"Camri! Someone's coming!" Ariel cried suddenly. Camri looked up, just in time to see a fireball roaring towards him! Camri leapt to the ground but Ariel cast a spell on herself at the last minute, the fireball simply dissolving into her as she felt a small surge of magicka.

The source of the fireball was a necromancer stood at the far end of the bridge. But then Camri heard a familiar roaring sound approaching from _above_ him, and lunged forwards just in time to avoid a fireball cast from the top of the ravine hitting him. Camri landed clumsily on a trigger stone and heard a crossbow bolt shoot over him, passing through where his head would have been had he been standing up.

"Ambush!" Camri shouted. "Cover us!"

An arrow soared over the pair from behind them, flying in a graceful parabolic arc and landing square in the necromancer's chest. A bolt of lightning hit the necromancer at the top of the ravine, sending him tumbling down the cliff face into the river, but another soon took his place. Camri and Ariel kept running, leaping over trigger stones and tripwires. More necromancers were appearing at the top of the ravine and casting spells at them, then three skeletons appeared out of thin air in front of Camri and Ariel on the bridge, summoned by an unseen foe.

Camri didn't miss a beat, ploughing into one of the skeletons and shoving it into a tripwire, causing a bolt of lightning to blast out of a hole in the cliff face, annihilating the skeleton. Drawing his sword, Camri hewed the head from the second skeleton, the third beating a retreat back along the bridge, stepping on a trigger stone and activating a similar rotating-floor trap that Camri and Ariel had encountered earlier, hurling the skeleton into the river.

"Trigger that trap, Camri" Ariel said suddenly as the pair carried on running. Camri momentarily hesitated but realised that Ariel must have known what she was doing, and kicked a tripwire, causing a crossbow bolt to shoot out of a trap-hole, which Ariel stopped using telekinesis mere inches from Camri's head, twisted it in mid-air and launched it down the bridge, nailing a necromancer who emerged out of a small cave.

The pair reached the comparitive safety of the end of the bridge – they were now in a wide gully that led into the heart of the crater.

"Keep coming!" Camri shouted back to the others, who were still trying to hold back the necromancers with volleys of magic and bow-fire.

Staada and Captain Pasqual came next. Pasqual looked formidable – wearing a full suit of ebony armour, and with his long grey hair and beard blowing in the wind he looked like a true war wizard. Just as the pair set foot onto the bridge, a necromancer at the top of the ravine began to cast a summoning spell, but Pasqual cast a bolt of lightning, hitting the ravine wall just below the necromancer, causing it to crumble away and plunge the doomed mage down the 300-foot drop into the river.

The pair crossed the traps with ease, Pasqual using summoned scamps to trigger the three unavoidable traps whose trigger stones covered the whole width of the walkway. They both soon reached Camri and Ariel – Camri was knelt down on the riverbank with his bow, continuing the wave of suppressive fire towards the top of the ravine.

Halisman, Latta and Assurrani also made quick progress across the bridge, and were soon in a position to lay down enough covering fire for the Battlemages to cross the bridge.

By this point, enough of the necromancers had been killed for the rest to retreat, knowing that they were outnumbered. Camri and Captain Pasqual breathed huge sighs of relief – they had all crossed the trap-laden bridge under heavy fire from the necromancer ambush without any casualties.

"I dread to think how well-defended the temple is if the bridge into the crater is guarded like that" Assurrani remarked.

The bridge had emerged on a semicircular outcrop of rock, which reached out over the river, concealing some underground tunnel that the river emerged from into the ravine. Beyond it lay a huge stone stairway leading up at least a hundred feet into a gap in the rim of the crater. Camri and Latta cautiously led the group up the stairs with no difficulties, and eventually they reached the crater of the Throat of the World.

The crater was enormous, at least the circumference of Lake Rumare.

_No, _Camri thought to himself. _It's the exact size of Lake Rumare._

In the centre of the crater, built over the vent itself, was a great temple-fortress built out of dark grey stone – it was circular in shape, its walls interspersed by six large towers. Directly in front of them, wide open, was a huge doorway with a series of Daedric runes inscribed above it.

"Can anyone read Daedric?" Camri asked. "Ariel?"

Ariel gazed at the Daedric script. "The number 3 is in there several times – it also says 'Mantella' and 'Hallowed Ground'"

"The Mantella" Pasqual said. "I should have known"

The others turned to look at him.

"The Mantella was the stone at the heart of the war of Iliac Bay. They say it's Numidium's heart. Mannimarco was one of the players trying to get the Mantella for himself"

"I wonder how it ended up here," Assurrani said.

"Perhaps this was its resting place all along," Pasqual said. "Perhaps the Empire came here and stole it to power Numidium. This fortress looks pretty old to me…"

"I'm just wondering where the tower is," Camri said. "If the Mantella is a counterpart to the Chim-el Adabal, would it not be placed atop a huge tower, like White Gold Tower?"

"It must be in here," Latta said. "Why else would the necromancers be defending it so fiercely? Mannimarco isn't in here"

Camri recalled the map of the interior of the temple that he had seen. The doorway they could see marked the start of a route that led all the way around the temple wall's perimeter before emerging in whatever was beyond the great stone wall – the circular void marked simply as 'Hallowed Ground' on Chancellor Ocato's map. There was no other way in, and Camri expected the route to be well guarded.

"Skeletons" Ariel said suddenly. Sure enough, many summoned skeletons began to appear at the doorway, all carrying weapons and ready to attack.

"Form up!" Camri ordered. "Give them a volley!"

Pasqual gave a signal to his men who let loose a ferocious barrage of magic, decimating the skeletons' number, as the skeletons began to charge at the group. Camri, Latta, Halisman and Staada all drew their swords.

Ariel noticed something strange, however. The broken remains of the skeletons' bodies remained on the ground. They weren't summoned.

The two groups clashed spectacularly – Halisman collided with one skeleton, brandishing his shield in front of him, with such force that the skeleton was simply smashed to pieces where it stood. Never missing a beat, Halisman swung his right arm forwards and cut down another skeleton. Next to him, Staada and Latta held off the skeletons, occasionally getting in a killing blow, but Camri was unstoppable, barely giving each foe chance to attack before they met their end. Every so often, an arrow would soar through the air, fired by Assurrani, hitting its intended target right between the eyes.

Silence fell over the huge crater.

"That the best they've got?" Halisman asked, sheathing his sword as he paused for breath.

"Don't speak too soon" Camri replied. Halisman was right though – the group made up of amongst the best fighters in the world, backed by a detail of elite Imperial Battlemages, was almost unstoppable.

"Life detection's showing nothing inside the temple," Ariel said. "Where are they all?"

"Don't be surprised if this is it," Latta said. "The location of this mountain, and that bridge, is a near-impenetrable line of defense. The skeletons would have most people beaten too. We needed a black Varla stone to get in here, which is almost impossible to get hold of without getting yourself killed"

"And I bet there's a few traps inside the wall too" Assurrani added.

"You seem to be the best at getting past traps, Camri," Captain Pasqual said. "I would recommend you go on point again. We've got you covered"

And so the group made their way into the remote temple of evil, spearheaded by Camri Everlight, Falas Assurrani and Ariel Lasaille – the three who had been prophecised to rid the world of evil.

The inside of the temple was deserted, just as Ariel had deduced, but was by no means undefended. Every few metres, Camri encountered a new trap to bypass, but his years of exploring Ayleid tombs and ancient forts meant that none caught him out.

The three bypassed countless trigger stones and stepped cautiously over tripwires. One impassable trigger stone that covered the whole hallway opened a hatch in the ceiling leading to a sloped tunnel, down which an enormous, perfectly round boulder crashed, but Ariel halted it with telekinesis and gently lowered it to the ground.

A concealed tripwire, hidden by shadows, caused a volley of darts to blast out of wall-mounted blowpipes at chest level but Camri reacted immediately and rolled under the blowpipes' line of fire, waiting until they stopped and letting the others through.

At one point, the corridor narrowed until it was only wide enough for the group to proceed in single-file.

"Don't step on that grate," Camri said, indicating an iron grate over a hole that plummeted down into unseen, dark depths. The grate was not actually attached to the ground around the hole, rather resting on porcelain struts, which supported the weight of the grate but would give way should anyone step on it.

Cautiously, the group stepped around it…

Until one Imperial Battlemage lost his footing and stumbled onto the grating, which gave way immediately. Pasqual tried to throw out a hand to grab the doomed Battlemage but failed – the Battlemage screamed all the way down, until the others heard a distant splash.

"Damnit," Pasqual said to himself. Shocked at the sudden death of their comrade, the remaining Battlemages took great care in crossing the void.

Camri reached another corridor-wide trigger stone and cautiously stepped out onto it, only for the whole trigger stone to suddenly crumble under his feet. But Camri's reactions were quick, and he leapt forward and grabbed onto the edge of the gaping hole, which again led down into nothing but inky darkness, and pulled himself up. Assurrani and Halisman threw the rope-ladder that they had used in Vilverin, which Halisman had been carrying, across the hole, Camri anchoring it to the ground securely with its two grappling hooks, allowing the others to cross.

Eventually, the corridor made a sharp right-hand turn. Camri ran around it, only to instantly be hit with a bolt of magic that sent him flying back into the corridor in a crumpled heap. Latta and Staada bolted around the corner and unleashed twin bolts of lightning, just as a menacing-looking black wraith wielding a Daedric sword unleashed another spell, narrowly avoiding Staada. Pasqual cast a fireball which delivered the killing blow to the wraith.

Ariel and Staada both raced over to Camri, who shakily got to his feet. He was shivering, in a cold sweat, and looked visibly weakened. Ariel placed her hands on him and a wave of purple light engulfed Camri, accompanied by a strange high-pitched discharging noise. Camri screwed his eyes shut then opened them again.

"Are you alright, Camri?" Ariel asked.

"I am now," Camri replied. "Thank you. I've felt many more pleasant sensations than that in my life"

"They're nasty business, those wraith curses," Pasqual remarked. "They can linger on you for days sometimes"

"We're in the middle," Latta said reverently. "The 'hallowed ground'"

Latta was indicating a very strange sight in the centre of the huge, otherwise empty circular chamber. It appeared to be a section of an enormous tower, forged from the same pale grey stone as White Gold Tower. And around the tower's flanks was a gap in the floor, a few metres wide, interrupted at one point by a stairwell which led down into what the group guessed must be the vent of the crater. Camri walked over to Latta.

"Ready?" Latta asked.

"Ready," Camri replied. "Falas, some cover would be appreciated"

"Right on it" Assurrani said as he drew his bow.

Latta and Camri gingerly descended the stairwell, which led down into an absolutely, mind-bogglingly huge cave. It was perfectly circular in shape and unimaginably deep – Camri kicked a loose stone down into the cave and never heard it hit the bottom.

"Welcome to the Throat of the World" Camri thought out loud as the pair reached the bottom of the stairwell, which led onto a precarious rope bridge spanning the gap between the stairs and a wide, spiralling ledge which led down the perimeter of the cave. Carefully, the pair began to cross it, as Assurrani reached the bottom of the stairwell, still ready to fire his bow in an instant.

When Camri had reached the halfway point of the bridge, he turned around…

"Oh, you have got to be joking…"

The tower that they had seen in the large circular chamber continued downwards, an exact replica of White Gold Tower but turned upside-down and suspended over the enormous chasm. It was the most amazing structure Camri had ever seen in his life. And at the base of the tower, the surrounding rock was lit by a vivid blue glow emanating from the Mantella.


	15. All Hallows

**Chapter 15 – All Hallows**

"We'll stay up here," Captain Pasqual said. "Extra line of defence – just in case"

"Alright" Staada replied. "See you on the other side"

Staada, Halisman and Ariel began to descend the stairway onto the rope bridge, with Assurrani still watching out for threats and bringing up the rear.

By this point, Camri and Latta had reached the far end of the rope bridge and had begun descending the winding spiral staircase that was cut into the rock of the enormous cavern. Camri noticed a wide hole in the cavern wall near its ceiling – was there another way out of the cave?

The spiral staircase ended on a wide viewing platform that gave Camri and Latta their first view of the base of the remarkable tower – what would have been its summit were it the right way up. The tower ended in a cone-shaped point, attached to the top of which was an iron mounting which held the Mantella in place, similar to the plinths used to contain Varla and Welkynd stones in Ayleid ruins.

The Mantella itself was an incredible sight – a gemstone about the size of the human head, a lurid azure colour, which radiated with similar-coloured light, and had a powerful aura of unmistakable evil around it. Even from the viewing platform, the pair could see that a section had been cut from the Mantella – the gemstone used to create the Necromancer's Amulet.

The only access to the Mantella seemed to be a precarious stone bridge that led across the yawning chasm to the top of the cylindrical section of the tower – there seemed to be no way to actually get to the stone itself…

As Camri and Latta marvelled at the sight of the stone, the others joined them on the viewing platform. Assurrani, Halisman and Staada gazed reverently at the stone, but Ariel was glancing nervously around the cave.

"What is it, Ariel?" Camri asked.

"A lot of life around. There are many living things above us – too spread out to be the Battlemages. And there seems to be people inside the tower"

"I knew we weren't getting out of this without a fight" Assurrani remarked.

"Alright, we don't have much time," Camri said with sudden authority. "Give me some cover. I'm going for it"

Camri then handed a bottle of potion to Ariel – the strongest intelligence- and magicka-fortifying potion he had ever created.

"Catch me if I fall"

With Ariel following him, Camri then began gingerly crossing the stone bridge. He stopped halfway.

"Staada, you'd better come over here too," he called back to the viewing platform. "You need to escape as soon as you can"

The Golden Saint nodded and followed the other two onto the narrow bridge – it was barely a foot wide, with no guardrails, nothing to stop a single misplaced foot sending one plunging down into the bottomless abyss.

Camri reached the end of the bridge, which widened out, then forked and joined to the tower in two places, leaving a large gap in the centre of the bridge. Then, it suddenly made sense to Camri as he saw a series of handholds cut into the side of the tower. Above the handholds was a carving depicting nine elongated diamonds – Varla Stone-like shapes, the third of which from the left was inlaid with a sapphire, along with another Daedric inscription, which Ariel quickly translated.

"The Third Stone of Ada-Mantia. The way to the Stone matches the path to White Gold and High Royalty," Ariel read. "What does High Royalty mean?"

"It's what 'Chim-el Adabal' translates from Ayleid to Cyrodillic into – the Stone of High Royalty," Camri explained. "I've never seen it referred to by that name before though. This is some serious shit, ladies"

"Don't I know it" Ariel remarked as Camri clambered onto the handholds. Ariel swallowed every drop of the potion Camri had given her – she was going to need it.

Camri descended the handholds quickly, noticing that they continued onto the conical peak of the tower. He couldn't help feeling that at any moment one would reveal itself to be some sort of trap that would plunge him into the bottomless pit…

Camri reached the last of the handholds, about a yard away from the Mantella's mounting.

"Ariel, you're going to have to catch me," Camri said as he saw the mounting. In order to hold it in place, the Mantella was clamped into place by a mechanical iron clasp, the release lever of which was set into the stone next to the mounting. If one wanted the Mantella, one would have to release the clasp with one hand whilst grabbing the Mantella with the other – leaving no hands free to hold oneself in position.

Taking a deep breath, Camri clambered onto the mounting and grabbed the mounting securely with his right hand, reaching up with his left hand and flicking the clasp with his index finger.

Camri Everlight fell.

But after falling for a few yards, something incredible happened, as he suddenly stopped, hovering in mid-air, before he began to seemingly levitate back up to the bridge.

As Camri's feet touched solid ground, Ariel's spell wore off. Camri breathed a sigh of relief, holding up the Mantella for the other two to behold.

No sooner had he landed, however, than things began to happen.

The entire conical top section of the tower simply detached and fell off, plummeting into the bottomless cave. At the same moment, a hidden doorway in the tower's flank, just above the handholds, sprung open.

Then, the bridge suddenly folded on some unseen hinge at its walkway end, collapsing into a shadowy recess, leaving only the fork-shaped section attached to the tower. This meant that Camri, Staada and Ariel were stranded _on _the tower, this mysterious doorway the only way out.

To make matters worse, the group then heard Captain Pasqual calling down from the chamber above the cavern.

"_Hostiles! Lots of them!"_

Camri's blood ran cold.

"They're in the tower too," Ariel said suddenly. "But there's another way…"

Ariel indicated the handholds. Had the top section of the tower been concealing a hidden escape route?

"Get out of here!" Camri called to Latta, Assurrani and Halisman. "We'll see you back in Whiterun!"

"I hope you're right about this, Ariel" Staada said, nervously eyeing the handrungs.

Camri glanced a knowing gaze at Staada – Ariel was never wrong.

"There's two paths through the tower," Ariel explained. "A spiral staircase, and a laddered shaft that leads up its centre. The two routes don't meet until you get to the top of the tower, or the bottom…"

"Ariel, give me the lecture on architecture later," Camri said, stowing the Mantella in his backpack and clambering onto the handholds. "Follow me!"

--

Assurrani watched the three tiny figures, dwarfed against the might of the tower, clambering around to its base, one eye constantly fixed on the mysterious opening that they had avoided…

"_We can't hold them!" _Pasqual shouted from upstairs. _"You've got company!"_

"Go, you two" Assurrani said to Latta and Halisman. "I've got you covered"

A necromancer raced down from the stairwell at the top of the cavern and onto the bridge, but with a spectacular hyperbolic shot Assurrani nailed them in the side of the head, killing them instantly. Latta and Halisman bolted for the walkway that led back up to the bridge. Quickly reloading, the Dunmer fired across the cavern, taking down a zombie as it emerged from the opening in the side of the tower.

"Hurry up, you three!" Assurrani shouted. A necromancer appeared on the rope bridge at the top of the chamber and spotted Staada as she climbed onto the underhanging section of the tower, the most hazardous part of the climb, and cast a fireball, only for Assurrani to once again neutralise it with his incredible marksmanship skills. At that moment, four necromancers filed out of the doorway in the side of the tower… just as it slammed shut behind them.

They were cutting off all of the escape routes…

Camri had reached the centre of the tower first, finding that the handholds led onto a ladder that vaulted up a wide shaft running all the way up the height of the tower. Climbing rapidly, after about ten yards of ascent he found a small button located in a square recess. Guessing correctly that it would seal the route behind them, Camri waited until Ariel and Staada had climbed into the shaft and pressed it – sure enough, a stone hatch slid into place, covering the base of the shaft.

"Watch above us, Ariel," Camri said as he resumed the climb. "If there's anyone else in this shaft we're in trouble"

Latta and Halisman fought their way across the rope bridge; fighting off skeletons and armoured necromancers, making quick headway, before they saw something that made their blood run cold. A necromancer, standing at the end of the rope bridge, holding a summoned dagger to the ropes, with a look of true evil etched on his face…

Suddenly, the necromancer was thrown forwards by a colossal bolt of lightning, sent flailing, dead, down into the abyss. At the end of the bridge, his ebony armour covered in blood and scorch marks, was Captain Pasqual.

"Get off the bridge!" Pasqual called to them. The pair bolted for the end of the bridge and reached the safety of the stairwell leading out to the large circular chamber above the cave. They had just made it off the bridge when a necromancer raced down the stairwell and hurled a fireball at them – Pasqual and Latta both leapt to the ground to avoid the fireball, which sailed over them and slammed into the rope bridge, igniting it in an instant. After a few seconds, the ropes gave way and the burning bridge fell. The only way out of the cavern.

--

Assurrani had been fighting off the four necromancers assembled on the edge of the tower when he had seen the bridge burn. He had just skilfully neutralised a bolt of magic with his bow. As he watched in horror as the bridge fell into the chasm, he noticed that the necromancers were doing the same. They were trapped too – sitting ducks on the tiny platform.

_They did this to me, _Assurrani thought as he reloaded his bow and fired, scoring a headshot and hitting one of the necromancers, killing them instantly. _They'll pay for leaving me to die in this Godforsaken place._

Assurrani fired again, hitting another of the doomed necromancers, leaving only two. But as he reloaded, something happened that made Falas Assurrani feel an emotion he had never experienced when about to kill someone. Doubt.

The two necromancers were both Bretons, one male and one female, and both quite young. The female took the male's hand and squeezed it tightly.

_What if that was you? _Assurrani thought to himself. _What if it was you, Camri and Ariel being mercilessly picked off one by one?_

Assurrani lowered his bow and placed it on the ground. They were in the same situation as him – trapped in this cave for the rest of their lives.

Then, one of the necromancers called to him.

"_Press that button!"_

Assurrani looked around. In the chaos, he had not noticed a small recession concealing a square button opening in the floor of the walkway. Assurrani punched the button with his fist, and the bridge that had once led to the centre of the cavern, to the base of the tower, re-emerged from its recess.

_Who in Oblivion designed this place? _Assurrani thought to himself.

As soon as the bridge snapped into place, the door in the tower's side re-opened, allowing the necromancers – and Assurrani – to escape.

"Stay well ahead of me or I might change my mind about sparing your lives" Assurrani called to the necromancers as he stepped cautiously onto the bridge, keeping his bow trained on the Breton couple at all times.

--

Latta watched all this from the walkway, whilst Halisman and Pasqual had returned upstairs to rejoin the battle – her shock at seeing Assurrani stranded in the cave had given way to surprise, then relief as she had seen him make his escape after sparing the lives of two necromancers.

She had also just seen an assassin have serious doubts about his profession.

Camri, Staada and Ariel could see a tiny speck of daylight above them, a ring of light encircling a circular manhole cover. They had reached the top of the shaft.

"It comes out on top of the circular room, then leads back in through another trapdoor," Ariel said with dismay. "We're not out of this yet"

But then, Camri reached for a rung and his fingers clasped around a hidden trigger stone. Camri braced himself, dreading whatever trap he had just triggered, when a square doorway opened in the tower wall opposite him, looking out over the cavern. Camri realised exactly where they were – at the top of the cavern – and he could see a series of hand-rungs leading across the ceiling of the supercavern to the opening in its wall that he had spotted earlier. Camri ushered the other two up into the doorway, which led onto a small lip of stone reaching out over the cavern, giving them enough room to all stand.

"This is where you get off, Staada," Camri said, handing the Mantella to the Golden Saint.

As this happened, Ariel noticed a carving above the doorway, the same carving of nine diamonds that had been at the base of the tower. Only this time, none were inlaid.

"What are these nine diamonds?" Ariel asked. "I've seen this carving before, but not in this temple"

"In a dream?" Camri asked.

"No, in the catacombs beneath White Gold Tower, remember? When the Mages' Guild hired us to take out that den of vampires?"

Camri remembered the quest – it had paid very well – but could not recall the carving, however he had no doubt in what Ariel was telling him. Thoughts of the Nine Divines and the nine-pointed Chim-el Adabal, which had been referenced in the carving at the base of the tower, flashed through his mind.

Staada took Camri's backpack, containing the Mantella, and placed it over her own back.

"I'm pretty sure this cave leads to the river," Camri said, using his excellent sense of direction. "It must run under this temple because we heard that Battlemage fall into a fast-flowing body of water. Use this potion if you have to go underwater at any point… Are you sure you can do this, Staada?"

"It's not just Tamriel at stake here, Camri, it's my people too," Staada said poignantly. "I see little choice in the matter"

Staada embraced Camri, who kissed her gently on the lips. "Don't let us down, Commander"

Staada then did the same to Ariel, and then climbed out onto the handrungs, making quick progress across the cavern, until she reached the tunnel and disappeared into it.

"Now we worry about ourselves," Camri said to Ariel as he began climbing the shaft again. Soon, he reached the trapdoor at the top of the shaft and, propping himself up with his legs, used both arms to heave it free and allow sunlight to flood into the shaft. Camri climbed out onto the roof of the temple then helped Ariel up.

"Something doesn't feel right" Ariel said quietly, almost to herself.

"I know what you mean," Camri said. "I get the feeling we should probably return the Mantella to its resting place as soon as possible. That might be difficult, considering that its mounting has just fallen into a bottomless abyss"


	16. Meridia's Rebuke

**Chapter 16 - Meridia's Rebuke**

Camri and Ariel glanced around. They were still stood on the circular roof of the temple-fortress, and it was eerily quiet. Their footfalls on the stone roof echoed around the crater, and the constant roar of the river leading out of the crater could be heard in the background.

At that moment, Camri noticed another trapdoor, next to the one they had emerged from. It was wide-open, and much to his surprise, as Camri walked over to examine it, Falas Assurrani clambered out of the trapdoor. He smiled wearily when he saw the pair.

Camri took Assurrani's hand and helped him out of the trapdoor.

"Are you alright? Where are the others?" Camri asked.

"We got split up. The rope bridge got torched – luckily you opened up another way out. Latta and Halisman were fighting off the ambush with Pasqual and the Battlemages. Where's Commander Staada?"

"I sent her off with the Mantella…"

"There she goes!" Ariel cried, pointing east towards the river, over which the trap-laden bridge still spanned. The other two spun around to see the very unexpected sight of Staada shooting the rapids at incredible speed in a wooden kayak.

Staada had followed the tunnel until it had emerged at what seemed to be a small underground harbour – a jetty with several dinghies and kayaks moored to it, unguarded, so Staada had cut one of the kayaks free of its moorings and taken to the river, soon emerging in the huge ravine.

"How long do you think it will take her to get to the Shivering Isles, Ariel?" Assurrani asked. "We can't go after Mannimarco until she makes it to the portal"

"I'd say 24 hours would be the safest presumption," Ariel said. "It's quite unlikely that Mannimarco will know anything about the Mantella being stolen until it leaves the mortal realm altogether, so we have time to get back to Tamriel and restock for the big showdown"

Camri nodded. "In the meantime, we'd better work out how to get off this roof and go and find the others"

--

_The Shivering Isles, New Sheoth, House of Dementia_

"SHEOGORATH!"

A female voice bellowed through the Dementia throne room, causing Sheogorath to sit bolt upright in shock. He knew the source of the voice.

"How the blazes did you get in?" Sheogorath demanded.

"I am more powerful than you could possibly imagine!" the voice shouted. "You think your pathetic divine barriers could stop me?"

From the doorway, a woman emerged who had not been seen in the Shivering Isles for many years. Her long golden hair was tied back in a rough ponytail, and she wore a suit of armour made from a beautiful, glistening white metal, with an Ayleid battle-axe slung over her back. Meridia was here for a fight.

Sheogorath leapt to his feet and cast a bolt of lightning at Meridia, but the spell just seemed to be absorbed by her armour. Tiny forks of lightning flicked between Meridia's fingertips, before two bolts of lightning blasted out from her hands, obliterating the two Dark Seducer guards in the throne room. Sheogorath let out a primal scream and lunged at Meridia, grabbing her by the neck and attempting to throttle her, but the Daedric Princess quickly overcame him and threw him off, causing him to land painfully on his back in the centre of the throne room. Meridia drew another weapon from her belt, a Daedric longsword, and held it to Sheogorath's throat.

"Get up"

Sheogorath obliged, collapsing back into his throne.

"You were much more pleasant last time you were here" Sheogorath spat. Meridia sheathed her sword.

"Yes, I remember that. On the day that Latta was born. Things have changed since then. _You_ have changed since then"

"What do you want, Meridia? I haven't got time for a row. I've got much more interesting things to be getting on with?"

"What, like condemning and entire race to death?" Meridia retorted. "Do you want to know how many Golden Saints are left now? One, and as we speak, Commander Staada is frantically racing back to the Shivering Isles to save the mortal world from the wrath of Mannimarco"

Sheogorath visibly stiffened. "Staada is helping Latta?"

"Yes. Latta's quest requires her to kill Mannimarco, but also for the Mantella to be taken away from the mortal plane. Perhaps there was method to your madness, but I find that hard to believe"

Sheogorath stood. "What's the real issue here, petal? You haven't come here to update me on Latta's progress. I know that"

"This has to stop! Can't you see what you've done by deferring yourself to House Dementia? You're killing the Shivering Isles! This upset of power could have consequences far beyond you having a change of throne room. Think of your followers in Tamriel – dementia leads to evil"

"Why do you care?"

"I've helped you a lot, Sheogorath. We are the only two Daedra not to be born from the Creation – we were both mortal beings once. Quite how a deranged Nord who spent his life in a mead hall underwent an apotheosis I will never know. I gave my Golden Saints to you as a gift, and you have sentenced them to death. I bore a child for you, you wouldn't even let her into your kingdom!"

"Latta has not yet proved herself, and you know that. She's still just a silly little girl, as far as I'm concerned. Born in your image. Named by you. What's she got to do with me?"

Meridia drew the Ayleid battle-axe off her back. "Do you know what drew me to you, Sheogorath? I liked how you always stuck to what you stood for. You never let anyone detract you from how you wanted to act, what you wanted to achieve. Now I am seriously questioning what you stand for. What happened to the easy-going man who made me laugh all the time?"

Sheogorath squared up to Meridia. "Do not think of me as a purveyor of cheap jokes, Meridia. You think you're superior to me? Prove it!"

"That's why I'm here. To end your reign of stupidity!"

Meridia swung her huge axe horizontally, but at the last moment, Sheogorath summoned a shield and threw it up to block the blow, returning with a lightning bolt that sent Meridia staggering backwards. Meridia closed her eyes then opened them again, looking seriously pissed off. She lunged forwards, swinging the axe downwards vertically, but Sheogorath reacted in time once again, casting a spell on the weapon that caused it to simply crumble to dust in Meridia's hands.

"You will rue the day that you thought you could take me on where I am strongest!" Sheogorath bellowed as he began casting a volley of lightning bolts at Meridia, alternating between each hand, one after the other. Some, Meridia managed to absorb but most knocked her off her feet, causing violent twitching and unbearable pain to shoot through her body.

_Focus._

Meridia launched a bolt of green magic at Sheogorath, engulfing him, then leapt at him, punching him in the jaw as hard as he could, sending him reeling backwards. Another punch broke his nose. But then, the silencing spell wore off and Sheogorath placed his hand on Meridia's throat – unbearable, freezing cold shot through her, causing her to double over, gagging as she struggled to breathe. Meridia managed to cast a healing spell on herself, then got to her feet with grim resolve. Silencing Sheogorath again, she shoulder-barged him into his throne, banging his head on the wooden headrest. Sheogorath slumped down in a daze.

"You are a joke, Sheogorath!" Meridia said through gritted teeth. "You think you are a true Daedric Prince, when you had to get a _mortal_ to act as a vessel for your spirit after you got yourself killed? You couldn't even hold back Jyggalag until your realm lay in ruins"

Sheogorath suddenly leapt up and punched Meridia in the jaw. Meridia recoiled, blood seeping from her top lip, which she spat onto the ground. Sheogorath delivered another huge punch, this time to her temple.

Meridia's vision burst into a field of stars, but she could just see the blur of Sheogorath's fist flying towards her face…

Sheogorath's signet ring agonisingly hit Meridia, almost blinding her left eye. But Meridia threw up her hand and a bolt of lightning burst from it, slamming into Sheogorath, who was sent flying backwards, convulsing uncontrollably. Meridia gritted her teeth and ripped Sheogorath's staff out of his left hand.

"Perhaps you need a bump on the head to bring you back to your senses!" Meridia bellowed as she swung Sheogorath's staff down with both hands, hitting Sheogorath in the forehead. The sickening crack of breaking bone echoed through the throne room. Sheogorath twitched again, using his last ounce of strength to cast another bolt of lightning which hit Meridia in her forehead. Meridia staggered backwards, clutching her forehead, as she was thrown into semi-consciousness by the lightning charging through her mind. Desperately, she tried to join her hands together…

Dispelling magic flowed through Meridia, followed by healing magic. She was fit to fight again and, still holding Sheogorath's staff, delivered another colossal blow to Sheogorath's head.

The Daedric Prince lay still.

This was what Meridia wanted. She had killed his mortal form. And now…

Meridia cast a strange spell on Sheogorath's motionless body. Magic of all colours of the rainbow flashed between the two, ending in a spectacular flash of white which illuminated the entire room.

Sheogorath opened his eyes.

"Let's start over" Meridia said evenly. Sheogorath leapt to his feet.

"By Arden-Sul, what have I done?" Sheogorath said to himself, before turning to Meridia. "Staada! We have to help her! Follow me!"

--

_Tamriel, earlier that day_

Commander Staada had completed the journey down the foaming torrent in minutes, quickly arriving in Whiterun, where she abandoned the kayak and commandeered a horse which had taken her the length of the pass across the Jerall Mountains, back into Cyrodiil. Here, she had raced down the steep slopes to the shores of Lake Rumare, where she had found another rowing boat to take her down the Niben River to the portal to the Shivering Isles.

It was just north of Bravil, at one of the river's widest points, where the ambush had been set.

Ten necromancers, walking on water and concealed by invisibility, attacked.

The fireballs and lightning ripped the rowing boat to pieces. Staada plunged into the water, drinking Camri's potion at the last minute. She had to remain underwater for as long as possible.

Opening her eyes, Staada could see the small island that the portal was located on. She was so close…

_No time to fight. Just get the Mantella through the portal._

Staada began swimming with powerful strokes towards the island. She didn't know how long Camri's potion was going to last, and she could see the shadowy shapes of the ten necromancers above her, still walking on the water's surface. Miraculously, she made it to the island. Drawing her sword, Staada leapt from the water, cutting down two of the necromancers with a single masterful swordstroke, and waded onto the shore as fast as she could. Diving to the ground, performing a forward roll to dodge a fireball then leaping to her feet, Staada bolted for the portal and leapt into it.

The world around her vanished. Everything went white.

Then she was standing by Haskill's desk in The Fringe. She was safe.

No, she wasn't.

The necromancers had followed her through the portal!

"You must really want this stone," Staada said under her breath as she ran as fast as she could down the winding path into the Fringe. It was empty – no Dark Seducer guards, no citizens, just the Gatekeeper, patrolling the area in front of the Gates of Madness with great lumbering strides.

Staada knew she had to get the Mantella away from the necromancers. If it fell into their hands, everything that she and her friends had fought for would be lost.

She ran for the gates. She was more athletic than the necromancers, building up a lead, and soon raced past the Gatekeeper towards the Gate of Mania, drawing her key as she ran. She shoved the key into the hole and tried to turn it…

Nothing.

"No!" Staada shouted. She couldn't believe it – Sheogorath had changed the lock!

Would the gate to Dementia still be unlocked? Staada doubted it.

The Saints' Entrance? She would have to face the necromancers, something she could not risk doing.

There was only one other option.

Staada took the Mantella from the backpack and raced back out into the courtyard where the Gatekeeper stood. The necromancers were beginning to mount the grand stairway that led up to it…

With all her might, Staada hurled the Mantella _over_ the Gates of Madness, into the Shivering Isles themselves, where the necromancers could not possibly get to it. Then, she turned to see a necromancer charging at her with a summoned Daedric axe.

Commander Staada prayed that the end would come quickly.

It did.

--

Sheogorath reached the Gate of Dementia and jammed the key into the gate's lock, turning the key so sharply that its shaft nearly snapped in two. Hurling the gate open, Sheogorath and Meridia raced through the gate.

Sheogorath saw Staada's dead body, a necromancer looming menacingly over it, and froze.

"We're too late…" he said to himself.

Meridia shoved past Sheogorath, her Daedric longsword drawn. Practicing necromancy and killing someone dear to Meridia were the two things most likely to incur her wrath. The necromancers tried repelling her with magic, but she either absorbed it or shrugged the attacks off, her mind focused only on one thing. One by one, she massacred the necromancers, completely unstoppable. One tried to make a run back to the portal, but was stopped abruptly by a colossal lightning bolt.

Meridia sighed to herself. Sheogorath was back to normal – or, as normal as he had ever been, but at what cost? Had the last of the Golden Saints just been killed?

Sheogorath seemed to sense this, and placed a hand on Meridia's shoulder.

"I will renew the Wellspring. Almost all of the Aureal will come back to life. But this… She was killed by a being not of this realm. I cannot undo this"

Meridia opened her mouth to speak, but then dived down to Staada's side and ripped open the leather backpack she was wearing. It was empty.

"She did it!" Meridia cried in joy. "The Mantella isn't here!"

"I know, it's just beyond the walls," Sheogorath said. "It's in the Isles. I can sense it. I'll keep it guarded in the Palace – but I won't go near it. I've seen what damage it can do. Rest in peace, Commander Staada"

--

At the same moment, in a cave in a remote part of Cyrodiil, Mannimarco felt a pang of unease, followed by something much deeper, some sort of spiritual emptiness.

"The Mantella! It's gone!" Mannimarco cried. "We don't have much time if this is to work! We have to attack – immediately! Start the Bloom!"


	17. The Bloom

**Chapter 17 – The Bloom**

_Throat of the World, temple exterior, the previous day_

Reaching the perimeter wall of the temple-fortress, the three located a short ladder that enabled one to climb onto the wall itself. Assurrani scurried up the ladder and located a button, which he pressed without worrying about possible consequences, and a small vertical strip of the wall receded horizontally into a narrow groove, revealing a ladder leading back down into the crater. Clearly, the tower was intended as an escape route.

"Movement down below," Ariel said, the glow of mystical magic surrounding her. "Five people"

"Hold it, Assurrani" Camri whispered. Assurrani drew his bow and knelt down on the wall, focusing on the temple's huge arched doorway. Soon, the five figures stepped out into the crater. Latta, Halisman, Captain Pasqual and two Imperial Battlemages, looking very weary.

"Hey!" Assurrani called to them. They all snapped up, and visible relief stretched across their faces as they saw the Dark Elf perched atop the perimeter wall. Assurrani began to climb down the ladder, followed by Ariel and eventually Camri.

"How did you three get out?" Halisman asked. "I had a horrible feeling you'd been left for dead"

"Whoever built this temple made it sure you could always get out," Assurrani explained. "There's so many different switches and relays operating the doors in the tower it's ridiculous…"

"I see Commander Staada is not with you," Latta said. "Does that mean…?"

"She made it," Camri said. "We saw her just now, descending the river in a kayak, and she has the Mantella with her. We are agonisingly close to victory now…"

"But so is Mannimarco" Latta said, slightly ominously. "The fact that we have not encountered him here means that he has already used the Mantella for whatever he needed it for. I've got the feeling he's in Echo Cave already – and he's about to strike"

--

_Bruma, the next day_

The citizens of Bruma had woken to a truly terrifying sight.

Skeletons.

Hundreds upon hundreds of them, marching in organised ranks, in a great column, from somewhere in the mountains to the west.

The guards had tried to stop them. The archers on the town's battlements had taken down a few but soon realised it was futile. The guards at the gates had simply been overwhelmed, trying vainly to fight them off, but the skeletons hadn't even _fought_ the guards, just overwhelmed them with sheer numbers then trampled them into the ground. The gates fell.

Guards ran around the town ordering every citizen back into their homes. The skeletons marched into town – but did nothing. They simply stood all around the town, staying in their organised ranks. The guards, retreating to the castle, could only gaze at what was happening in sheer amazement.

Then, one more figure marched into town – a Dunmer woman in a black robe bearing a menacing-looking blood-red emblem. It was Relmyna Verenim.

"People of Bruma!" Verenim shouted, climbing onto the plinth which bore the statue of the Champion of Cyrodiil. "You are witness to the rising of a new power! The legions of the undead – the hands of Mannimarco, the King of Worms!"

Citizens began cautiously emerging from their houses to listen to this deranged prophet, seeming to sense that there was no immediate danger to them.

--

Meanwhile, Captain Burd, the Bruma Guard chief, surveyed the situation from a balcony in the castle. He had fifty men at his disposal, plus the town militia – probably another thirty men, mostly made up of hardened Nords who knew how to handle themselves in a fight. He made a quick guess at there being two hundred skeletons in the town. He might just be able to beat them if they attacked – just.

"Let's see where this goes" the Countess, Nerina Carvain, said from next to him. "It might just be a show of power. I'm not surprised in the slightest that Mannimarco himself is not here to bear witness to this event"

"I will order the guard to remain alert, Ma'am" Burd replied. "I will send a runner to Cloud Ruler Temple and hope that he makes it there"

"You think the guards at Cloud Ruler didn't see this?" Nerina asked dryly.

--

Down below, Relmyna Verenim continued her speech.

"The citizens of Cyrodiil are presented a choice by Mannimarco. Either present yourselves willingly to us, or we will take your souls by force! You will all end up in the service of Mannimarco one way or another – thralls to the new power. You will be granted immortality, a gift desired by all men. You will be part of a new world order. Cyrodiil is merely a stepping stone – soon, all Tamriel shall worship the new theology that is Mannimarco, the King of Worms! Do not foolishly anticipate help arriving. This is currently happening in every city in Cyrodiil!"

The town was silent apart from Verenim's voice echoing around the town walls.

"You have one hour to decide before Mannimarco's minions attack! Bruma will fall first!"

--

"There's a time limit on this now" Camri Everlight said, struggling to hear Verenim's speech from the top of a hill just outside Bruma. They had witnessed everything – the skeletons marching into Bruma, Verenim's speech, and now many more necromancers, approaching from the west and entering the city – at least thirty.

"That's what I call a street party," Assurrani said to himself.

"Echo Cave. Now" Latta ordered. "Captain Pasqual, the Legion are probably needed in Bruma. You'd better head down there"

"You're right" Pasqual said. "Good luck to you all – I hope we all survive this ordeal"

With that, the ebony-clad wizard-like Battlemage and his two remaining comrades ran towards the city.

"If all the Legionnaires are needed down there in Bruma, do you want me to go down there too?" Halisman asked, reserved.

"You're staying with Ariel" Camri replied.

"How is Verenim alive?" Ariel asked suddenly, somewhat asking the obvious.

"Yeah, maybe we should have checked she was actually dead before we left Vilverin" Assurrani added.

"It doesn't matter" Latta said, still focused. "She gave us the information we needed and Mannimarco would just have got one of his other lackeys to do this job"

--

At that moment, all of Cyrodiil was in chaos. Every town, including every district of the Imperial City, was filled with ranks of skeletons standing in perfect formation, waiting to attack. Even the villages and minor settlements hadn't escaped.

Only Cloud Ruler Temple remained free, the Blades all having been dispatched to Bruma, apart from Jauffre and a small detail of Blades, who remained behind to defend the Temple should it come under attack.

Crucially, a Blade in Bruma had overheard Verenim's speech and reported back to Jauffre – "Bruma shall fall first". The order to attack in the other cities would not be given until Bruma had fallen.

--

The five raced west across the undulating hills, past a grand Ayleid ruin, looking even more spectacular encased in snow, before they reached a steeply-ascending trail, marked with two stakes on which several human skulls were mounted.

"This is us," Camri said. "It's at the top of this trail"

A lone necromancer stood guard outside Echo Cave, but had barely registered the presence of the five before he was nailed by an arrow to the head from Assurrani. The door leading into the cave was locked securely from the other side but the solution was simple – Halisman shoulder-barged the door in his heavy Imperial Legion armour and the lock snapped, causing the door to swing open.

"Watch your heads," Camri said before leading the group into the cave. "According to the Cartography, Echo Cave's main trail leads down a wide canyon. Watch for snipers at the top of the canyon"

Ariel nodded, casting a life-detection spell, whilst Camri and Assurrani readied their bows. Latta took the lead.

The trail indeed ended up in a wide canyon, whose walls were about ten metres high, snaking through a huge cave about thirty metres in height. The five's footfalls echoed crisply around the cavern – Echo Cave was living up to its namesake.

Little resistance met the group, no more than a couple of skeletons and zombies that were easily bettered, mostly by spells from Latta or arrows from Assurrani. Eventually, they reached a doorway that looked disconcertingly similar to those found in planes of Oblivion, coated with Daedric script. Ariel's eyes flashed like camera shutters, taking in the text.

"This is incredible," Ariel said to herself. "Part of it warns of the Great Underking that lies beyond the door – that must be Mannimarco – and that the Bloom will conquer the mortal world. But this bit here is all about the Stones of Ada-Mantia… what is this doing in here?"

"Come on, let's not hang around" Camri said, thrusting his sword into the gap between the door's two panels and rotating it, jimmying the door open.

--

_The Necromancers' Chamber_

The doorway emerged at a T-junction in a tight, narrow corridor.

"Left" Ariel said firmly. Latta continued leading, taking the left route, when suddenly a necromancer sprung up in front of her, wielding a summoned mace…

Latta ducked as an arrow shot over her head, piercing gruesomely through the necromancer's eye, killing him instantly.

"Right" Ariel said as the five reached another junction. This time, the trail led into another enormous cave, partially flooded with a large island in its centre, a narrow rock bridge granting access to the island. The island itself was surrounded by a fence that seemed to be made out of giant bones…

"We're here," Camri whispered. "Assurrani, cover"

Assurrani nodded as the other four advanced towards the bridge and crept across it. Ariel pointed directly forward – seated at a desk, his back turned to the five, was Mannimarco. But then, he heard them approaching and leapt to his feet. By now, all five were on the island.

Mannimarco radiated unmistakable evil. He was tall, even for an Altmer, with a gaunt, wraith-like face, black eyes and a grand mane of hair in the same colour.

"Well, if it isn't the hope of Tamriel" Mannimarco said evenly, eyeing the five. "What a shame you escaped from the Dark Fissure unscathed – no, wait, not all of you did"

Camri's blood boiled at the mention of Areen.

"It seems you believe you have me beaten. The Mantella has been banished to the Shivering Isles, and the ambush I laid for the Golden Saint didn't quite work. My immortality has been nullified.

Latta and Camri both breathed sighs of relief. Staada had made it!

"But you do, of course, still have to defeat me!" Mannimarco continued, clutching the Necromancer's Amulet around his neck. At that moment, he let loose a colossal bolt of lightning, which missed Latta by millimetres and burst in a spectacular shower of sparks on the bone wall, at the same time summoning a wraith, which was wielding a glass sword. The wraith cast a spell at Ariel, which engulfed her in a sickly green glow. Silenced.

Assurrani raised his bow and fired. His aim was immaculate as always – the arrow was on a straight bearing for Mannimarco's temple. But inches before it made contact, Mannimarco halted the arrow in mid-air with telekinesis and turned it around, launching it back at the five at tremendous speed.

Straight into Ariel.

Assurrani gasped in horror, dropping his bow and sword and bolting from the cave.

Ariel Lasaille tumbled backwards with the impact then lay still on the damp, stony ground.

"No!" Camri cried, before turning to face Mannimarco with a look that could have frozen water. But Mannimarco wasn't there.

"Where did he go?"

"There!" Latta shouted, pointing at a narrow tunnel leading out from the back of the cave. Latta had seen Mannimarco, or more precisely, the purple glow that betrayed him to her life-detection spell, run into the tunnel, and set off after him.

Camri turned to look at Ariel, knowing it was hopeless. Tears began to well up in his eyes.

"_Camri! Come on!" _Latta called from in the tunnel.

Camri turned to look Halisman in the eyes.

"I'm staying here," Halisman said evenly. "My fate lies with Ariel"

Camri nodded in understanding, then stooped down and gently kissed Ariel on the forehead. Then, trying to block out the images of the death of his friend, the young, fragile Breton mystic who had spent her life under pursuit and threat, Camri reached the tunnel and raced into it after Latta. All the time, Ariel's words resonated through his mind.

_One of us is going to die._

Knight-Bachelor Marlus Halisman remained alone in the cavern, sitting down and burying his head in his hands. He had failed.

--

At that moment, Bruma suddenly erupted into chaos. The skeletons began an enormous charge on the castle – the guards reacted quickly, dropping the portcullis, but this still sealed a number of skeletons in the courtyard, and the majority of the Town Guard out of the town itself.

"Get back out into the town!" Burd shouted, racing down to join the furore. "Open the portcullis! Barricade the castle doors shut!"

Arrows flew down from the battlements, aimed not at the skeletons but the necromancers that seemed to be commanding them. Fjotred, the town blacksmith, burst out of his shop clad in a thick suit of steel armour wielding a war axe in each hand, and began fighting off the hordes of skeletons.

"To arms!" Fjotred bellowed. Several more Nord men ran out of their homes, armed and ready to fight to the death to defend their town.

It had begun.

--

Falas Assurrani, meanwhile, ran as fast as he could to the east, towards Morrowind. He wanted to go home. His role in this quest had come to an abrupt end. As he ran, all he could think of was one recurring sight, of his arrow thudding into Ariel's chest. Ever since he had been fighting alongside Camri, his priority had always been Ariel's safety – her knowledge and foresight was crucial to everything. And now he had just killed her.

Then, Assurrani froze in his tracks. A blinding white light burned in front of him, causing him to reel back, shielding his eyes. The light faded, and Assurrani gazed in awe at the figure stood before him.


	18. The Second Battle Of Bruma

**Chapter 18 – The Second Battle of Bruma**

Bruma was a scene of absolute chaos. Mannimarco's army of skeletons and necromancers was sandwiched between two groups who were fighting it – the Bruma militia, who had congregated in the north-south-running street that ran alongside the eastern wall, and the town guard, under Captain Burd's command, who were outside the castle, still trying to defend it and the Countess. They were still heavily outnumbered and making little headway – the skeletons were on a powerful offensive, trying to hack their way through the guard with their axes, but the guard and militia were playing defensively, concentrating on blocking attacks until they could strike their own killer blow. Captain Pasqual, grouped with the militia, had summoned a frost atronach which was proving a very capable comrade-in-arms, whilst Pasqual himself fought with an ebony sword, matching his armour, and the occasional magical attack. Despite his wizard-like appearance and Mages' Guild ties, he was, at heart, an Imperial Legion veteran. He had fought in the first Battle of Bruma alongside Martin Septim, outside the Great Gate into which the Champion of Cyrodiil had launched a daring raid. The Champion had removed the keystone of the enemy attack – the Great Sigil Stone at the heart of the Great Gate, which had ended the battle. Pasqual couldn't help but think that all the second Battle of Bruma needed was one event like this – the death of Mannimarco at the hands of Latta.

Pasqual clambered up a pile of crates onto one of the rooftops. Holding onto the wooden beam running along the top of the gable with one hand for support, he cast an enormous fireball with his other hand, taking out several skeletons and two necromancers with the resulting explosion. But one of the other necromancers spotted him and cast a bolt of lightning at him, sending him tumbling back to the street, twitching, landing awkwardly on his back.

"Pasqual's down!" one of the Nord Militia shouted. "Get him back!"

A great hairy-bearded Nord and one of the other Battlemages ran over to Pasqual and lifted his semi-conscious body, complete with the weight of his ebony armour, whilst several archers provided cover. The enemy was going on the offensive – pushing forwards, breaking through the defensive line held by the militia…

"They're heading for the chapel!" Pasqual shouted weakly. "Don't let them desecrate Talos!"

Camri Everlight raced down the trail towards Bruma, his mind in a dizzying spin, following Latta, who was still tracking Mannimarco with life-detection. Suddenly Latta stopped in her tracks.

"Damnit" she said to herself.

"What is it?" Camri asked, catching her up, exhausted.

"He must have fortified his acrobatic skill or something," Latta explained. "He just leapt clean over the city wall!"

"There's another way into the city. Follow me!"

Following the perimeter wall in an anticlockwise direction, the pair eventually reached a cave entrance just outside the city wall. Camri raced into it, Latta close behind him, her magical light guiding their way. A few rats offered resistance but were killed in an instant. Soon, the pair arrived in an abandoned basement, a ladder leading up to a trapdoor.

"What is this place?" Latta asked.

"An old Mythic Dawn hideout" Camri explained. "Discovered during the Oblivion crisis. The third way into Bruma"

Camri produced a key from his belt and unlocked the trapdoor – it had necessitated a daring night-time raid on Cloud Ruler Temple to acquire it – throwing it open and clambering up into the building. A very surprised Nord couple, changing into battle gear, greeted him.

"Don't worry, I'm on your side" Camri said as he helped Latta out of the hatch. Peering out of the window, Camri saw the last thing he expected – empty space. He could see the necromancer army trying to force its way into the castle, and the militia trying to hold off the other branch of the army on the street to the east, but in front of that – nothing. Camri threw open the door and ran out.

"Where's Mannimarco?" Camri asked Latta. Latta shrugged. Camri drew his sword and raced towards the militia, briefly registering Captain Larand Pasqual lying injured on the ground on the backline, and leapt into the fray.

--

_The Jerall Mountains, east of Bruma_

"I have witnessed a change in you, Falas Assurrani. Once you may have been an assassin, killing to make a living. Perhaps the Morag Tong are deeply stepped in Dark Elven doctrine and nobility, but one cannot kill another man who has not directly harmed him and think himself a good man. But when I saw you save thousands of lives by destroying the Marsh Spirit, I began to doubt my preconception of you"

Assurrani stood in revered silence, listening intently.

"I saw what you did at the Temple of the Throat of the World. You spared the lives of those two necromancers. You may wish to know that this morning they forsook the cult. They regard human life as much more valuable after you granted them theirs. They have both joined the Chapel, promising to use their magical abilities for good.

"And now, I see, for the first time, Falas Assurrani feeling genuine guilt after having killed someone. An accidental murder, but a murder nonetheless. Would this have happened were you not tied up in prophecy? If you were still an agent of the Morag Tong? I think not – your mentality has changed to suit this new life, this life of true responsibility of the fate of Tamriel"

"Who are you?" Assurrani spluttered.

The woman in the white robe smiled. The bright sunlight, piercing through the crisp mountain air made her robe, her delicate features and beautiful golden hair sparkle and shimmer.

"I believe you know my daughter quite well"

Assurrani gasped in shock. "Meridia? What are you…?"

Meridia held up a hand to silence Assurrani. "I have come here because your friends need you, Falas Assurrani. You did not kill Ariel Lasaille"

"What?"

"She is close to death – unconscious and bleeding fatally. But I will undo that – your actions have inspired me to once again take interest in mortal affairs such as this. Camri and Latta are close to the end, close to defeating Mannimarco, but they cannot do it without the help of Ariel and yourself"

"I'd better go back to Echo Cave and find her," Assurrani said.

"No, you must go and help in the fight. Ariel is alright. She has Halisman with her – he is a good man who will protect her fiercely. Go with my blessing – aim true, Falas Assurrani"

Meridia vanished in a flash of dazzling bright light, and Assurrani felt strength, courage, resolve and determination surging through his body. Turning around, he ran as fast as he could towards Bruma.

--

"Don't worry about us, Mr Everlight!" a Nord shouted to Camri. "We can hold them off! Go and help at the castle!"

Camri nodded, leading Latta through a series of tight, steeply-ascending alleys. They could see a white mass in front of them – the skeleton army.

"Godspeed" Camri said to Latta. As mirror images of each other, they burst out of the last alleyway, both cutting down a skeleton almost instantly. Camri fought with both hands on his sword, getting around the issue of blocking attacks by simply not allowing any of his enemies to get a blow in before he slaughtered them. Next to him, Latta was alternating between deadly blows with her glass claymore and powerful magical attacks. They were making quick headway…

A familiar face reared up in front of Latta – a very angry-looking Dark Elven woman. Latta smiled wickedly.

"Oh, I am going to enjoy this," she said as she ran her sword through Relmyna Verenim's heart, making sure she was _definitely_ dead this time.

"It's Mannimarco!" Latta cried suddenly. "He's on the rooftops… He's made it to the chapel!"

"We have to go after him," Camri said, killing another skeleton and retreating into the alleyway again. "The guards can handle the battle – this is our destiny. We _have_ to kill Mannimarco, or Ariel and Areen will have died for nothing"

"Don't' worry, he's mine" Latta said. "Ready to fight to the Chapel?"

"Ready" Camri raced out back into the battlefield and shouted, "Covering fire!"

"I've got you," a familiar voice said coolly from above them as an arrow shot through the air, hitting a skeleton's neck and snapping it clean in two.

"Go!" Latta shouted, ploughing out into the fray, swinging 360 degrees with her sword held out, cutting down several skeletons. Camri danced through the assembled skeleton masses, now beginning to thin out at the base of the castle steps where they were, as the assault on the castle geared up in intensity. Ducking to avoid blows and fighting his way out of any encounter he could not dodge, Camri soon broke free, at almost exactly the same time as Latta did. Only then did he turn around to see Falas Assurrani, knelt down on the rooftops, carrying a magical longbow that looked Elven, or even Ayleid in origin. Something looked different about him, but Camri could not work out what.

"Good to have you back, my friend!" Camri called to him. "Cover us to the chapel!"

Camri and Latta raced towards the chapel, just as a series of cries of pain from the other side of town marked the militia line finally giving way, followed by a huge explosion as Captain Pasqual returned to the front line. This was going to be close…

A separate group of necromancers, along with some skeleton warriors, set off in pursuit of Camri and Latta. Every time one got close, or attempted to cast a spell at the pair, they met an end from Assurrani's incredible marksmanship skills.

Latta and Camri reached the door and tried to force it open, but to no avail – it was barricaded shut.

"The other doors!" Latta shouted. The pair turned around to make a run for one of the chapel's other two doors, when the most amazing thing occurred.

A rock, nearly a yard across, plummeted down from the heavens and smashed into the chapel's sturdy wood and iron door, blasting it clean off his hinges.

"What in the name of the Nine…" Camri began, but he knew in his mind that it could only be one thing. Ariel Lasaille, back from the dead with a vengeance. The pair raced into the chapel and saw Mannimarco. Still in shock at what had just occurred, Mannimarco cast a fireball at the pair, but it went wide, hitting the stone above the doorway that they had just emerged from.

"It's over, Mannimarco!" Latta shouted, striding towards the Altmer.

"Oh, but it is not" Mannimarco said coolly. "As soon as the people of Bruma have been defeated, the rest of my army will be ordered to attack, all across Cyrodiil. All I need to do is buy some time"

Mannimarco glanced out of the window.

"Oh dear, it looks like the castle's defences weren't quite strong enough"

--

"Countess, they're in the courtyard!" Burd cried, racing into the throne room of the castle. Countess Carvain, now kitted out in a suit of mithril armour, seemed unfazed.

"Everlight and Latta are in the Chapel," she said. "We only have to hold them off for a few more minutes. I have full confidence in both those two and your guard"

"I only hope your confidence is well-placed," was Burd's response.

--

"Flank him" Camri whispered as he ran to the left-hand side of the chapel, as Latta ran to the right. Mannimarco could not fight two opponents at once on his own. Racing down the sides of the chapel, constantly ducking or leaping behind pillars to avoid his magical attacks, they made quick progress. Mannimarco's attacks were getting progressively weaker. But then he took a quick gulp from a phial of potion and his strength was back. Holding his hand to the air, he summoned not one but three wraiths!

"Shit!" Camri shouted. "Get back! Get back!"

Camri had nothing to fight the wraiths with, but he noticed one was carrying a Daedric shortsword… it would be a long shot…

Miraculously, an arrow suddenly lanced through the air before Camri could even draw his own bow, hitting the wraith's sword and knocking it from the ethereal creature's hand. Camri lunged to the ground and grabbed the sword as the wraith loomed over him, leaping to his feet just in time to plunge the sword into the wraith's heart. Camri smiled to himself – Assurrani was in the chapel.

"Go for him!" Assurrani shouted. "You're covered!"

With his magic bow, Assurrani took down another of the wraiths, but saw Latta recoiling as a spell cast by a wraith engulfed her. She tried to dispel herself but was silenced by Mannimarco, who was now on top of the altar, hurling spells about the chapel, chiefly trying to take down the troublesome Dunmer marksman…

"His backup's arrived!" Assurrani shouted suddenly, racing through the chapel just as skeletons began to pour through the blasted-open doors.

"Tell me this isn't happening" Camri said to himself as he parried with the third wraith, which was also armed with a sword, before he managed to get a killing blow in. Looking up, he found himself face-to-face with Mannimarco, raising his hands, preparing to cast a spell.

"You should keep better company," Camri said desperately. "I know my friends will be looking out for me!"

On cue, an arrow slammed into Mannimarco's leg, sending him tumbling off the altar, roaring in pain.

"Latta! Go!" Camri shouted. Latta weakly ran over to Mannimarco as Camri turned to face the advancing skeletons, fighting once again alongside Falas Assurrani, now brandishing Camri's newly-acquired Daedric sword whilst Camri reverted to his glass weapon. They were quickly forced back, killing skeletons but swamped by the overwhelming numbers.

"Latta! Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly!"

Latta reached Mannimarco and drew her sword. This was it… Mannimarco began to get to his feet, licks of flame appearing at his fingertips…

_No. Not this close to the end!_

Latta took a final desperate lunge forwards, and plunged her sword straight into Mannimarco's chest; ripping it out jaggedly then ramming it in again, before delivering a third strike to his jugular.

The life took less than a second to fade from Mannimarco before he fell limply to the ground.

Silence fell across the chapel.

The skeletons had vanished.

"Would you look at that," Assurrani said. "He'd summoned them himself. Every single one of them"

Camri raced over to Latta, his face stretched into a broad grin, and threw his arms around her. "You did it!"

Latta got to her feet and kissed Camri on the cheek. "I would have got nowhere without you, Camri Everlight. Or you, Assurrani"

Assurrani bowed his head. "Well, I wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for your mother…"

Camri and Latta looked at Assurrani for an explanation. "I wish I could have told you this when I first saw you back in the town. Meridia blessed me, persuaded me to return to the battle. And Ariel's alive!"

Camri smiled. "We know. How else were you going to explain that rock falling from the heavens and smashing the chapel door open right when we needed it?"

Assurrani walked over to join the other two. "Hey, the technicalities don't matter. We got the bastard! We did it!"


	19. The Prophecy Reprise

**Chapter 19 – The Prophecy (Reprise)**

As the three stepped out of the chapel, the townsfolk, the city guard and familiar faces like Captain Pasqual and Grandmaster Jauffre ran over to congratulate them. The guard and militia had both put up a good fight – comparatively few men had been lost in the battle.

"So, the prophecy is fulfilled," Jauffre said warmly as he saw the three. "I must offer my most sincere congratulations – your journey has not been an easy one by any means"

"Thank you very much, Grandmaster," Camri said, shaking hands with Jauffre.

It was only a few minutes before Ariel Lasaille and Marlus Halisman arrived in the town via the north gate – Camri, Latta and Assurrani quickly made their way over to the gate to meet them, as Ariel ran into the city and threw her arms around Camri.

"You did it!" Ariel said gleefully.

"I fear I once again had little part in it," Camri replied. "It was Latta who killed Mannimarco, and of course you smashed down the door into the chapel for us. What happened to you in Echo Cave anyway?"

Ariel told her incredible story – she had been lying on the floor of the cavern, barely conscious. The arrow had pierced her heart and she was bleeding internally. There seemed no hope for her as she had closed her eyes for the last time, knowing that her time had come. But then, a magical force had engulfed her and life flowed through her, her wounds magically healing themselves, and she leapt to her feet, magicka literally surging through her body.

"It was Meridia" Assurrani explained. "She sorted me out as well"

Ariel smiled and embraced Assurrani. "I'm glad you changed your mind. It wasn't your fault. And Latta, it has been a true honour fighting alongside you, and what you have just achieved was incredible"

Halisman also stepped into the town and exchanged greetings with the other three. Then, Camri turned to Latta.

"I suppose this is goodbye then, Latta"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Latta said sadly. "I must go back to the Shivering Isles and hopefully use my new powers to restore peace there. But I will never forget you four – we have been through a lot together over the last few weeks, and I don't want to be separated from you. I am going to order a secret shrine to be built where you can contact me. Offer a clouded funnel cap at the shrine and I shall speak to you"

"Where are you building the shrine?" Ariel asked.

Latta smiled knowingly. "I told you it was a secret, didn't I?" She handed a scrap of paper to Ariel, on which she had written a riddle.

_Between where the surface of the water of life hardens_

_And the trees of the river stand_

_Near the black boot_

"If you ever need help, or simply another sword to stand alongside you into battle, come and find me"

Latta said her emotional goodbyes to the three and left, catching a caravan from outside Bruma, heading for Bravil where she would complete the short journey across the water to the portal to her rightful home, the Shivering Isles.

--

Sitting in an inn a short while later, Ariel and Camri deciphered Latta's riddle in no time, using Ariel's powers of deduction and Camri's geographical knowledge. The small scrap of paper was now covered in notes.

_Between where the surface of the water of life hardens (Water of life = Blood, Surface hardens = Crust, Bloodcrust Cavern nr Skingrad)_

_And the trees of the river stand (Trees of river = reeds, Reedstand Cave nr Bravil)_

_(Between the two is in West Weald near Elsweyr border)_

_Near the black boot (Fort Black Boot in West Weald)_

"We will have to wait for the shrine to be built first," Camri said. "Although I do not know precisely who is going to build it"

The three were alone together for the first time in many weeks – Halisman had reported to the Guard Captain of Bruma for a debriefing along with every other Legion serviceman involved in the battle, including Captain Pasqual.

"I have something to tell you both" Ariel said quietly, not wanting to attract the attention of the other rather merry patrons in the pub. "I'm sure you two will want to carry on adventuring now, but I have made the decision to go back to High Rock for good, and Halisman will be coming with me"

Camri's heart skipped a beat. "Why?"

"It's just getting too much for me. Being thrown in the Imperial Prison reminded me why I've been on the run from any figure of power for my whole life. They just want to keep me prisoner and use me as a tool. While I was in prison…"

Camri gently held Ariel's hand. "What is it?"

"It happened only an hour before you broke me out. That man, Kanvius, he… took something special from me. And Halisman was forced to watch it all happening"

Assurrani and Camri sat in shocked silence.

"I'm glad I left him to die a slow, painful death," Assurrani said eventually. "If you think this is the right thing to do, who are we to doubt you?"

"Falas is right," Camri continued. "We'll come and visit you every time we're near High Rock – you can't get rid of us that easily!"

Ariel smiled. "You will both always remain my two best friends"

After another emotional farewell, saying goodbye to Ariel Lasaille and Knight-Bachelor Marlus Halisman, Camri and Assurrani had returned to Olav's Tap And Tack, which had always been a favourite establishment of Camri's, where celebrations were expected to continue well into the early hours.

They were rudely interrupted, however, by an ominous rumbling sound coming from outside the city gates, followed by what sounded like a clap of thunder and a constant high-pitched whine. Camri leapt to his feet and drew his sword, Assurrani following him, bemused.

"I know that sound!" Camri shouted as he ran. "I hope to the Gods I'm mistaken!"

Along with Jauffre, Pasqual and several guards, the pair burst out of the east gate, to see an Oblivion Gate looming in front of them. Everyone was too shocked to say anything, before one of the guards pointed south-east, across the Jerall foothills.

"There's another one open down there! You can see the flames!"

"What in the name of the Nine is going on?" Jauffre demanded. "I thought the doors to Oblivion were supposed to be sealed for good!"

"We did this…" Camri said softly. "We removed the Mantella from the mortal world… What have we done?"

--

_Epilogue_

_The Shivering Isles, House of Mania, throne room_

Latta grinned as she sat down on the throne. As soon as she did, incredible change began to take place around the Shivering Isles.

The whole island bloomed into life, the dank undergrowth of Dementia being replaced by lush, verdant plant life. The sun beat down brightly over the whole island. Citizens began to see life in a new light, with renewed clarity. The Wellspring at Cylarne, Saint's Watch, began to flow once again. Golden Saints emerged by the score from the magical fountain.

"There is only one more thing you must do, Latta" Meridia said, Sheogorath also present in the room. "Every Daedra has their sphere. Sheogorath's is Madness, mine is Life. What will yours be?"

"I have thought long and hard about this," Latta replied. "I am going to provide a service to the mortal world which I know they will soon be in need of. My sphere will be Knowledge"

**-The End-**

**-of-**

**-The Daedric Child-**

**The story will continue in 'When The Dragon Broke'.**


End file.
